Darker Wonderland
by EarthRiddle
Summary: Wonderland has a dark future. Alice is gone, leaving her daughter and son with Ace behind to fend for themselves in a world that doesn't take well to those who play outside of the Game.
1. Chapter 1

Wonderland was empty without Alice.

Everyone could feel her absence, and everything was affected by it. Why had she left? To where did she go? There were no answers. She simply was gone, vanished, before any of the Roleholders could do a thing about it.

It was the season of April when the circus came around again, and it was a miserable time for Ashe.

White Joker directed the circus performers, correcting their mistakes as they ceaselessly practiced. Ashe threw herself wholly into the routine, her brow dripping, her hands slick from sweat, but still she performed harder and harder than she thought she could.

"Where's your brother?" White asked, looking around carefully.

She stopped and wiped her brow. "He's avoiding practice, is what he's doing." She gritted her teeth.

"Strange. He doesn't typically avoid these things...usually it's you."

"I'm sure he has good reason to not be here."

"Unlike you. It was hard to drag you here this morning. I don't think you quite understand that you belong to me. You and your brother are mine."

She dully watched him. "Of course I know. I always know. You remind me every time I turn around."

Before practice ended she managed to slink away when the he wasn't looking to find her brother. Besides she never listened to the Joker. Not completely.

She slunk between the circus tents, the bright colors of the circus tents passing her by. She moved crouched, like an animal, long blonde hair tumbling messily around her arms. There was something feral, wild about her.

A lot was strange about her, but strangest of all was her eyes; one was red and the other blue, a trait she shared with her brother.

She breathed heavily from the earlier practice and held her hand to her chest. Nothing beat and nothing ticked there, no heart or clock. Emptiness.

It was just a reminder that she was not totally of Wonderland.

Her mother had been the foriegner Alice Liddell and her father had been a Roleholder, Ace. The combination created children that were outside of the game, outside of Wonderland. They were not Roleholders, nor one of the faceless, nor anyone.

The darker half of the Joker, the Black Joker, called them the Nobodies.

"You have no purpose or part in this game, you worthless idiot," the Black Joker had told her once. "The only thing that gives you any purpose is this circus, and that's why you won't run away. It was part of the deal."

She had made a face. It was a deal she had no part in.

Her father had been the executioner of the Joker until he realized the job was never going to free him from his role. So he made a deal with them: he would trade his children for his freedom.

It was why she hated Ace so much. Not everyone was aware that Ace even had children with Alice. Certainly Peter wasn't, but the Prime Minister could barely work up the care. He was devastated by the loss of Alice more than anyone else.

To most Roleholders she and her brother were simply anomalies: non-Roleholders with faces. Only Julius knew that they were more than just circus freaks, but he was too lost in his work to tell anyone.

She saw a group of giggling girls and immediately knew her brother was in the middle of the crowd.

"Why, yes, I can play that song," she heard him say as she got closer.

She momentarily stood in the crowd to watch what he was doing. There he was in the middle of the group, his eyes downcast. He had blonde hair, like her, and an easy smile that attracted people. He held a violin on his shoulder. "I can play that song just for you, beautiful," he said, pointing at a random girl.

When he saw that random girl was his sister he immediately froze.

"Ah, Ashe! Why, hello there! I was just-!"

Hands on hips, she pointed a finger at him. "Bryon, don't you have better things to do than woo poor, innocent girls with your horrible music?"

He adjusted himself in his seat, setting his violin back in its case. "I'm actually a decent musician. All the ladies say so."

"Oh please," she said. "I nearly got in trouble with the Joker. Do you know what happens when we get in trouble? Yeah. So could you put a little bit of effort into not missing practice?"

A girl latched onto her brother's arm. "Aww. Don't take Bryon from us! He's been so entertaining."

Ashe smiled humorlessly. "I advise you to let go of him right now."

"No! I love Bryon!"

Ashe drew a small knife from her sleeve.

"What power do you have over us?" The girl's eyeless face watching Ashe. "You may have a face, but you have no real power. So go ahead and try to kill me."

Ashe's grip tightened on the knife.

"Ashe," Bryon said warningly, pushing the girl behind him. "You can't kill every person who crosses you."

_Yes you can, _she thought. Her brother had a very…humanistic view of people. It was a result of what little their mother had been able to teach them before she left. None of it stuck for Ashe, but her brother took it to heart.

She grasped her brother's hand and yanked him up. "Come on! I'm not getting punished by the Joker just because of you. Leave these little tarts behind."

Despite the protests of the girls Ashe drew her brother away.

He sighed. "You're right. I should practice more. The Circus is soon."

Ashe snorted. "I couldn't care less about the circus. If I wasn't scared of punishment, I wouldn't waste my effort there."

"There's not much else we can do."

"Oh yes there is. I won't be here forever." She watched him, her eyes transfixed. "I'm not staying tied to the Joker."

"Uh, huh." He watched her in disbelief. "You've already tried killing him. It never works. You're an unthinking, blunt instrument, sister dear, and you do things without thinking or planning."

"If you're strong enough, you don't have to think." She smiled. "You just do." She shrugged. "And I'm the sort of person who does."

He patted her on the back. "Just try not to kill anyone, okay? The last Circus was a disaster, what with you trying to shoot the Joker in the head and all."

"Oh yes, I remember. It should've worked." She watched him, grinning. Her smile was like a mask she couldn't take off. It disconcerted him slightly, but he was used to it.

"And Black punished you good for it." He gripped her hand. "Come on."

"One day not even fear will keep me back. I will burn this place to the ground."

"Not yet," he said. "Please not yet."

Something dark crossed her face, but she said nothing more. They walked back hand-in-hand.

* * *

"Carrots?" Blood said. "Truly, Elliot? After all these years you still cook carrot dishes? You know how I feel about them."

The table was laden with the stuff: carrot pie, carrot cake, and whatever else Elliot could stuff the vegetable into. Elliot beamed proudly beside it, signaling for Blood to sit.

Blood had no intention of getting anywhere near the disgusting food.

"I _like_ carrot dishes."

Both men turned to look at the source of the voice.

It was a short young woman, her long black hair up in a loop on the back of her head. Her small lips were pursed.

She sat down at the table, grabbing a napkin and placing it into her lap. Blood watched her from below his characteristic hat. A wrinkle ran over his brow. Other than a few small wrinkles, he had aged well. The women said he had aged _handsomely. _Even the little gray there was in his hair only went to make him look more mature rather than merely old.

"Now, if you are done complaining about the dish selection, we have things to discuss, father. Namely, we need to talk about our expenditures. I don't know what to do about the twins. Should we tie them to the front gate to get them to stay at their post? Would that work?"

"I can shoot them," Elliot said.

She rubbed her temples. "No. You might kill them. Then we'd have the messy business of replacing them. It's never easy killing Roleholders. We'd be messing with the Game."

"I'll allow you two to deal with that," Blood said, standing up. "I need to get away from the stench of these…orange dishes."

"You can't possibly be leaving me to do all the work again," she said, her hand fixed on her cheek. She watched him leave with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "…or he can. Damn it. Why am I always left to do everything!"

Elliot sat, heaping a portion of carrot cake onto his plate. "Because Blood doesn't like crunching numbers, and you're the best one at math around here."

Lilly was always keenly aware of one fact: everything she had was because of her father. She remembered looking into the mirror as a child to see her faceless visage stare back, but Blood would not have a faceless daughter. It was simply too embarrassing for him.

So one day, as a birthday present, she became one of the Roleholders. She had no idea how he did it or what he gave up to do it, but she knew the price was steep. It showed he had power enough to influence the game. Even to someone as stubborn as her that meant something.

"Just because I'm the only one around here who can add two and two together doesn't mean I should be the only one who ever works."

Elliot patted her on the head. "It'll be okay. I'll help you."

She smiled wearily back. Elliot had raised her more than Blood ever did. Blood was never a hands-on parent. He was the sort who came around and threw presents at her during the holidays and retreated back into doing whatever it was he did. Usually it was womanizing, to which she turned a blind eye and tried to ignore.

She was positive her mother was some faceless servant who had somehow managed to last long enough to have a child. She didn't last long enough to raise that child. Lilly didn't really care. Her mother was just another faceless woman, after all. She barely mattered in the grand scheme of things.

"The Circus is coming up soon," Lilly said, writing something on a piece of paper. "Let's hope it's not as exciting as last time."

"I don't know," Elliot said. "I thought it was kind of interesting."

"When Ashe tried to shoot the Joker?" she snorted. "Stupid girl. Doesn't she know it's a waste of her time to try and fight him? She and her brother get on my nerves."

"My pleasure to annoy you," said a voice that was distinctly not Elliot's. She didn't even have to turn to know who it was.

"Ashe, what are you doing here?" Lilly said. "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Preferably far away from me as possible."

"But I'd miss you!" She said mockingly, reaching around the back of the chair to hug Lilly who squirmed within her grasp.

"Are you here to see my father? Well, he's not here, as you can see. So go away or I'll have Elliot kill you."

"My, my, I see you're still the same old unlikeable Lilly you always are." Ashe smiled. "Give this to your father and tell him the task is done."

She tossed a sack at Lilly and immediately Lilly knew it was a clock. Then Ashe turned and left as swiftly and quickly as she had arrived.

When she wasn't with the Circus, Ashe was an assassin. The rules of the game didn't apply to her since she was outside of them and she could pretty much do whatever she wanted. If you paid her well, she would do anything-absolutely anything-you wanted.

She was an invaluable asset to the Mafia who made use of Ashe's services to take down particularly troublesome targets. It angered Julius, of course, and in turn made Ashe clash with Ace often. Everyone always knew when Ashe got into a fight with Ace, because the girl barely made it out alive each time.

"Just another troublesome creature in my life," Lilly muttered, adding something together on her accounting sheet.

* * *

Before anyone reviews asking me to keep writing smut, yes, I still write smut. I'm just taking a break. The next fic I write will be either Nightmare, Peter or the Jokers.


	2. Through the Looking Glass Stupidly

To Michael, psychology was the finest art one could aspire to. Everyone he met he already put into fine little categories five seconds before they even began speaking.

Some called him a snob. He, however, felt a snob was someone who simply thought they were better and smarter than everyone else. Michael genuinely was. People's conversations bored him. People themselves bored him. He already knew what they were going to say before they said it. There was no point in sitting around and listening to them ramble.

He had few friends to call his own. He had a cat, whom he loved. He once had a girlfriend, whom he didn't love, and she left him shortly after he did a Freudian dissection of her childhood. So now Michael was completely alone, which is probably how he preferred it anyway.

Snow wafted outside, making piles on the windowsill. He sat inside, cold, miserable and trying his hardest to concentrate on a physics textbook.

He found his eyes glazing over several times. Eventually he tossed it aside and sighed.

The ideas from the textbook swirled in his brain. He had been reading a chapter on the theory of the multiverse, and the idea stuck with him. He stared at the mirror on the wall.

What if everything it showed was a reflection of another reality? What if there were whole universes contained in something as mundane as a mirror?

_That'd be interesting, _he thought.

On a whim he stood and placed his hand on the glass.

His hand went through as if the mirror wasn't there. He pulled back, shocked and stared.

He stuck his hand in again. Once more his hand went through, this way all the way up to his elbow. He could see his hand on the other side of the glass as if he had stuck it in water.

_The hell? _he thought.

With a curious expression, he put both hands into it and fell through.

* * *

"You know what I've always wanted more than anything else in the world, Julius?" Ashe idly toyed with a small knife in her hands. She sat on the edge of his desk, much to his annoyance. "I want something to put here." She indicated towards her chest. "I want a clock of my own."

"No," Julius said simply. It was an answer he had given her a million times before.

"Give me a clock," she repeated, an edge in her voice. "I need one. I need something to go here."

"You are an exasperating girl. How many times must I explain that you aren't part of the Game? I can't just give you a clock."

She sheathed the knife and settled back on the desk. "How about if I ask nicely?"

"Get out my room," he said.

"Julius! Take pity on me!"

"Pity for what? You have a decent job. From what I see, you're well taken care of and well-fed."

"There's more to it than that." She unhappily hopped off the desk. Suddenly, she turned, as if struck by something. A wicked smile played on her face. "Hey, Julius, I can pretend to be Alice for you. Just give me what I want, and I'll be Alice any time you need. Look!" She covered her red eye, leaving only her blue one exposed. "I look just like her! Mostly."

At her suggestion, he raised an eyebrow. "You're shameless," he said, shaking his head.

"I can be a fake Alice any time you need," she continued. "I can do that, at least."

He watched her, his eyebrow still raised. "Your mother was a good person, but you are not. You couldn't be her any more than a dog could be a person by wearing a coat. It's still only a cheap imitation."

Her smile turned strained. "That's what everyone sees me as?" she said. "Well, I am pretty cheap."

The door burst open before the dialogue could continue. Bryon stood leisurely in the doorway, his arms cross.

"There she is!" he said, smiling. "Come on. You have to perform today."

"I'm not going," she said steadily. "I go when I feel like it."

"Then don't go." He leaned against the doorframe. "But Black won't like that very much."

She huffed and looked away. "Such a bother," she muttered.

"Thank you for getting her out of here," Julius said to Bryon. "Now be quick. I have work to do."

"So grouchy," Bryon said. "Aren't you supposed to be attending the Circus or something, Julius? It's kind of a rule for you Roleholders to go from what I understand."

"I will go soon," Julius said. "After you two leave."

He held up his hands. "Fine, fine. Come on, sis." He grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her. "Let's go."

* * *

Getting ready for another monotonous show drained Ashe. She hated this time. Oh, how she hated this time.

She stared at her face in the mirror, at the heavy make-up and the bright, vibrant red color on her outfit was a multicolored leotard that glistened in the light that fell from above the mirror.

Always the same thing. She went in front of the crowd and threw herself into the motions of her routine. All the while she would like nothing better than to personally kill every single one of the audience members. They were like hundreds of wardens looking in on her. The feeling left her feeling caged, even as she flew freely through the air on the trapeze.

She turned away to pull on her shoes and turned back around.

There stood a skinny dark-haired young man with pale skin. He looked around, bewildered and confused. Most curiousl, he had a face.

They stared at each other for one long moment, neither sure what to say. Questions swirled in her mind (mainly "Where the hell did you come from?") but she couldn't decide which one to ask first.

He took one look at her large sparkling earrings, her sequined outfit and her heavy makeup and immediately concluded one thing: "You're a stripper, aren't you?" he said. "If you are, this is my new favorite alternate universe."

"Huh? No."

"Then what on earth could you be?"

"A circus performer," she said dryly. "Could you please get out of my dressing room before I stab you through the gut? Thanks."

"Look, I'll just go right back through this mirror and leave you alone. I'm not interested in dying today, anyway." He turned around and walked back into the mirror.

Except this time he didn't go through. He furiously pushed against the glass.

"What the hell are you doing to my mirror?" she said.

"I came through here," he said, still fumbling against the glass. "I just…stepped on through! I know it sounds crazy, but it happened! Apparently, it doesn't work both ways. Damn." He scratched his chin and tried to determine what to do next.

"You're telling me you came through my mirror?"

"Yes."

"Oh," was her only reaction.

"You believe me?" he said.

"I don't care," she said. "I just want you to get out of here so I can finish getting ready."

"Where am I supposed to go?" he said. "I don't know this place."

"Like I said earlier, I don't care. Go play with a gun or something."

"You're a bright, sunny personality, you know that?" he said. "You're just what I was hoping to find in an alternate dimension."

She smiled. "Thank you. I try. Wait, did you just say you're not from around here?" She watched him carefully. "…If you count coming in through the mirror as not being from around here then yes."

"A foreigner," she said, an unsettling smile on her face. "Wonderful. You could be useful to me."

"What? Look, I just want to get home."

"You're not going anywhere and the moment you try I'll stab you through the throat," she said evenly.

"Uh." He stared at her in disbelief.

"You're going to stay right here at the circus." She wagged her finger in his face. "If you leave, I will hunt you down. And I'm very good at hunting people down. It's a side job. After the circus is over I'll find you and we'll figure out just what use I can get out of you."

A voice yelled from beyond the room. "Ashe! We need you out here! Your performance is starting."

"Already," she said, sounding disappointed.

"Now stay right here." She forced him to sit in a stool by the mirror. "Don't let anyone see you."

With that, she turned and left. He sat in the stool, shifting uncomfortably. After a few minutes, when he was sure she was gone, he stood. He wasn't going to listen to her threats. He was going to find a way out of there one way or the other.

* * *

"Move over," Lilly said, coming up to the tree where Pierce was sitting.

He glanced up to see Lilly standing there, the cool breeze blowing through her long dark hair. She had an unhappy look on her face.

"Give me some of your coffee," she said.

"L-Lilly?" he said.

"Don't ask questions," she said. "Just fill my cup with some coffee."

"But-" he began.

"Come on. I don't have all day," she said.

Unlike the rest of the Hatters she, couldn't stand tea. It was something that caused her father no end of grief. If she wanted to enjoy coffee, she had to do so in secret.

"A-all right," he said, his hand shaking as he poured coffee from his canteen into hers. He wasn't happy about it, but there wasn't much he could do. It was something he was used to by now. There was also the vague fear that she might turn around and tell her father if he didn't do as he was told. It was a small fear because, after all, Lilly didn't exactly want her father knowing she was sneaking coffee from the resident grave-keeper.

She sat next to him, took a sip from her cup, and pursed her lips.

"I've been needing a fix all day," she said. "I've just been craving it, but you're the only place I can find it around here." She sighed.

He scooted away from her and hoped it would end soon. He didn't particularly like the Hatter's daughter. Few people did. She was a demanding woman with a harsh temper.

"And that damn Circus is supposed to be today," she continued, sipping her coffee. "What a waste of time and resources. I've told father before that if he wanted to attack one of the other territory leaders that would be the best time. But does he? No. Because apparently that's against the rules. Everything is against the damn rules."

Pierce remained silent as she jabbered, too afraid to talk back. He was shaking, scared that if he said the wrong thing he might anger her.

"And then there's the Circus's resident slut." Her face went dark. "Does anyone like Ashe? Honestly? My hatred isn't unreasonable, is it? Of course not. She's a violent, dangerous and constantly batting her ugly little beady eyes at my father. As if he would consider her…!"

At this point Pierce knew the girl was caught up in her own world. As silent as only a mouse could be he snuck away.

"If I go she'll invariably bother me and I look forward to seeing Ashe like I look forward to a bullet in the head. And then-" She continued speaking, only to realize a minute too late she was all alone. She grumbled to herself something about 'insolence in subordinates' and continued drinking her coffee.

"Little sister." The voice was one she did not want to hear.

Surprised, she spilled some of her coffee on her front. She stared at it soaking into the fabric of her white dress and groaned.

"Is that coffee we smell?" Dee leaned towards her. "Wasn't that banned from here?"

"I think so, brother. So why would Lilly be drinking it when she knows it's against the rules?" His smile was wicked.

"Don't you dare tell anyone." she said.

"But look!" Dum pointed at her dress. "She spilled some on her. Now she's going to have to take a bath."

"Why doesn't she take a bath with us?"

She stood up furiously. "Do you want me to tell Elliot that you're harassing me again? _And _that you're away from your post?"

"Do you want us to tell Blood you're drinking coffee again?"

Her shoulders slumped. "Why does everyone always pick on me?"

They laughed. "Because you're so easy."

"And short."

She drew herself to full height. "Thank you for boosting my self-confidence, you overly annoying bastards, now get away from me before I kill you."

"Sorry, we can't do that. We were sent to take you with us."

"Take me-What are you-!" She protested as together they lifted her up.

"To the Circus!" said Dum cheerily.

She beat on his back. "I don't want to be carried to the circus, you nitwit! Put me down! Put me down NOW!"

They laughed at her.

"I am getting so angry," she said, dangling in their arms. "I am now ANGRY!"

"Ooh! Did you hear that? She's angry? I wonder what she plans on doing about it?"

"I'm telling Elliot," she said. "Right after I've killed you both!"

"He's the one who sent us in the first place."

"I don't believe you," she said. "He wouldn't send you. He could've sent anyone but you."

"He would if he's busy, little sister."

Dum laughed. "Look how angry she is to be so small."

"It's a wonder she can fit all that anger into her body."

"Just get me to the Circus. And if anyone sees me in this position…" She groaned. "Well, I never had much of a reputation in the first place, did I?"

They carried her off, laughing and poking fun at her the whole time.

* * *

Based (re: stole) some of the ideas from Lewis Carol's Through the Looking Glass. If anyone is wondering, I'm thinking Lilly's role is the Red Queen, a role which was in the original book Through the Looking Glass and was a distinct character from the Queen of Hearts (who is Vivaldi), believe it or not. The Queen of Hearts represents a suit from a card deck. The Red Queen represents a chess piece. BTW, I think Roleholder's do age because Alice says something in the games about Dee and Dum growing up and not needing her any more. I don't know for sure, though. All the sources I have are vague on the matter. Other plot holes and questions will hopefully be answered in the story.


	3. Shenanigans!

The Hatter family arrived at the Circus.

"You reek of coffee," Blood said, eyeing Lilly suspiciously.

The twins giggled behind her. She stepped on their feet to shut them up and looked away. "It's that damn bear-thing. I was near him when he was drinking coffee today."

"Bear-thing?" Blood said.

"I think she means that damn rat," said Elliot.

"I can't help he looks like a teddy bear," said Lilly.

"He looks nothing like a teddy bear," said Dum.

"He looks like a teddy bear," she repeated, growing irritated. "Quit contradicting me. If I say he's a teddy bear, he's a teddy bear. If I say he's a ten-foot tall rabbit, then he's a ten-foot tall rabbit."

"Would he deny his rabbit-ness like newbie hare?" Dee said.

"I'm not a rabbit," Elliot said, his voice weary. He had gone through this a billion times with them before.

"No, he's not a rabbit," Lilly said. "I have no idea where you get the idea that Elliot is a rabbit. He looks nothing like one."

"Thank you," said Elliot, rubbing his temples. "At least someone believes me."

Elliot had practically raised Lilly. It was natural that she had been also raised to believe two things: that carrots could be delicious no matter what they were stuffed into and that Elliot was not under any circumstance a rabbit.

"Little sister has been brainwashed by the rabbit!" said Dum.

Blood watched her side-long, sighing.

"What are you sighing about?" she said.

"Wondering where I went wrong," he said. "I know you've been sneaking coffee. It's obvious."

"You're so critical of me," she said. "It's getting on my nerves."

"You're insistence on drinking coffee even after I've told you not to is getting on my nerves," Blood said.

She crossed her arms and pouted. "I like what I like," she said. "It's just how I am. I can't help tea tastes like sour worms."

"It does not in any way taste like that," Blood said. "You obviously have no sense of taste. Shameful."

"Well," she said, her voice rising. "If that's the case then-ouch!" Elliot pinched her on the back of her arm to make her shut up. She gave him a sulky look but was otherwise quiet. Blood was just content to have seemingly won the argument.

"This is a horrid day," she continued a moment later, breaking the silence. "First I have to come to this pathetic excuse for entertainment and then I have to deal with your chastisement of my drink choices. Can you blame me for getting a little bit of coffee to make all the horribleness go down better?"

Blood shot her a dangerous look.

She immediately shut her mouth, but she couldn't keep it shut.

"I'm not going to watch this Circus," she announced. "I'm going to go do something else."

"You can't do that," Elliot said. "I'm pretty sure it's against the rules."

"Yes, it is," she said. "But I'm still technically am at the Circus, even if I'm not necessarily watching it. That counts, right?"

"Do what you want, Lilly," Blood said, just wanting to get the girl out of his hair.

"Don't get killed," Elliot said. "And don't step outside of the Circus. We're already bending the rules enough here."

"Of course," she said, nodding.

"Why, pray tell, do you not want to go to the Circus?" Blood said.

"Because there are simply certain elements of it that are annoying," she replied. "Certain _slutty uncouth _elements."

The twins nudged her. "Are you still angry at Ashe?"

"Angry? I'm not angry. That implies a temporary condition," Lilly said. "I hate her forever."

"Look, brother! Little sister is shaking!" said Dum. "Her little body is shaking with anger."

She sent him a cold glare, which made the two laugh harder.

"You're squabble with the circus girl demeans the Hatters," Blood said. "Just kill her already and be done with it."

"Why won't you kill her for me?" she said.

"She's useful to us."

Lilly frowned. "Well, I can't kill her for myself. I've tried."

"That's because little sister is a failure," said Dee.

"And you're a bastard. Both of you are bastards," she said and she turned and left in a huff.

Elliot glared at the two twins. "It would be in everyone's best interests to be nice to her. She is the Blood's daughter."

"But we like seeing little sister angry," said Dum.

"It's so funny!" Dee giggled.

"Be nicer!" said Elliot.

"Don't ruin our fun, rabbit!" said the twins.

A fight erupted. Blood was left to sigh and wonder how he had dealt with this for all these years.

X

_Where are their faces?_

Michael was surrounded by a sea of the faceless. He stumbled around, trying to find some place out of this brightly colored prison, but the Circus was like a maze and every where he turned there was only more of the Circus.

Faceless people, more circus tents, no exits. He felt as if he was going crazy.

As if on cue, he saw a girl…with a face! She was small and short, with her long black hair pulled up into a decorative bun. But, still, the fact she had a face was something familiar to him.

He could ask her for help. She may know something, anything, about getting out of here. He would rather ask her than one of the faceless. They just disgusted him.

"Excuse me," he said, tapping her shoulder.

"What?" She said sharply, whirling around, but she stopped short. She stared at him in a way that made him uncomfortable.

He shifted and looked aside. "Is there something on my face?" he said.

She forcibly grabbed his face and touched it, feeling the curve of his cheek. "You have a face."

"Um. Yes?"

She watched him, awed. "Where are you from?" she demanded.

"Pretty far."

"How far exactly? Are you a foreigner?"

"I'm not from around here if that's what you're wondering."

"I knew it!" Her face lit up. "But, of course, I knew. I'm always right." She watched him slyly. "So what are you doing here?"

"I was running." He looked around wildly. "If you can't help me, then I'll just go back to screaming like a girl and running from cover."

"Running away?" She smiled. "Then I'm who you should be running to. I can help you." "You can?

"Of course," she said, tossing her head. "I am, after all, a mafia princess." This gave him pause. "You're a…what?"

"A mafia princess."

"Are you crazy?" he said.

"No."

"Then congratulations, at least you're better than what I'm running from."

"What are you running from?"

He explained everything to her, starting with the mirror he fell through all the way to the strange girl he met.

"Ashe," she hissed. "Now I just _have _to help you. Fear not. She won't lay a finger on you while I'm here."

Just as he was beginning to feel comfortable, he felt something hit him from behind, knocking the air from his lungs and making him hit the ground. After a moment of disorientation he realized it was a person. They crouched over him, their feet planted in his shoulder bones.

"Mm!" he said, his mouth full of dirt.

"Did you not believe me when I said I would hunt you down?" said a smooth, feminine voice.

_Oh god, _he thought. _It's that girl._

He spat the dirt out and tried to sit up, but she stayed firmly on his back. "Would you just let me go, you crazy person?" he said, irritation in his voice.

"You're not going anywhere. You have no idea how important you are, do you?" She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I just might use you to buy my freedom."

"Not interested," he said through gritted teeth.

"But I'm very interested. I'm interested in what you can do for me, foreigner."

"Get off my back," he said slowly, anger rising in his tone. He began to struggle beneath her. She pressed down hard on the back of his head.

"I don't recall ever giving you a choice," she said, laughing.

"Get off him, Circus slut!" Lilly said.

"I don't want to," said Ashe. "I think I'll stay here allll day long."

"Do something!" Michael said to Lilly. He felt his stomach compressing under Ashe's weight, making it difficult to breathe. "Now would be a good time, you know!"

"What do you want me to do?" Lilly said.

"You said you'd protect me!" came Michael's tortured voice.

"Well," Lilly said. "I just tried asking her! What more do you want me to do!"

Michael banged his head into the dirt. "Wonderful," he said. "Just wonderful. I thought you could help me." "Her? Help you?" Ashe laughed. "If you want help, you're going to have to find someone better. Look, I never said I wouldn't help you. If you hadn't stupidly run off, I could have done so much for you. But then you ran away and I got so very _sad _and _lonely." _

Michael realized one disconcerting thing about Ashe's voice: she spoke in a low, husky purr. He wasn't sure whether to find it attractive or frightening. Since she was threatening his life, he was leaning toward frightening.

"Sister! Oh sister!" Came a male voice. Michael felt Ashe's weight shift on his back.

"Bryon!" she said.

"Bryon…" came Lilly's less enthusiastic voice.

"What is it that you have here?" The man called Bryon leaned down to get a closer look at Michael. His blond hair swept into his face, his eyes heavily-lidded and deep-set. He was the type of handsome that Michael's old girlfriend would have gone for, Michael realized slyly, and something about that made him want to punch Bryon in the face.

Oddly enough, he had the same eyes as Ashe. One red, the other blue.

"A face," Bryon said. "A new Roleholder I somehow missed?"

"A foreigner," Ashe replied simply.

"Ah!" Bryon's face lit up. "Nice to meet you."

"Tell your sister to get off me," Michael said, not interested in niceties at the moment.

Bryon laughed. "Oh, sister, you and your death and killing and capturing foreigners and forcing them to obey your whims!"

"This isn't funny!" Michael said. "Why are you laughing?"

"Oh. I just laugh in general," said Bryon. "I laugh at other people's misfortunes and my sister. But mostly I just laugh at you. It's a hobby. But you better get off of him, Ashe. You might give him sores if you sit there all day."

She jumped off of him. He stood, brushing himself off, thankful to finally be free of her. Bryon was smiling at Lilly.

"And look at the Hatter's dearest, most precious daughter! The mafia princess herself," he said. "Why would she deign to see commoners like us?"

She glared at him, holding her chin high as she went over and grabbed Michael by the arm. "I'm here for the foreigner. He's mine." "I'm not yours," Michael said, pulling his arm away.

"I take whatever I want," Lilly said. "And I want you!"

"I want you, too," Ashe said, moving to his other arm.

At first, Michael was angry. Then he realized something. Somehow in this strange alternate universe the girls wanted him! It was the polar opposite of how it had always been back at home where the girls treated him with disdain. Sure, maybe the girls here were a little crazy, but they were attractive. He had to admit that. Lilly was curvy and short and Ashe was tall and thin. Polar opposites, but attractive in their own way.

Rather than push them away, he stared at them each, seeing an opportunity. "Is there any way you can both have me?" "Hm." Ashe tapped her chin. "Interesting thought. Perhaps we could-"

"Absolutely not!" Lilly said. "I can barely share air with her! There is no way I'm sharing my foreigner, too!"

Ashe laughed. "It's okay. I think you misunderstand me, foreigner." She looked at Michael. "I'm not attracted to you. I'm not a Roleholder, after all. I want what you can do for me. But I still might have sex with you on general principle. If I feel like it."

"Slut," Lilly scoffed.

Michael watched Ashe in disbelief. "I don't know whether this is the BEST universe ever or the worst. I'm just going to go with it."

She shrugged. "You'll have plenty of time to figure it out." she said. "Soon you'll be part of the Game."

The way she said the word "Game" disturbed Michael.

Bryon came over, his hand on his sister's shoulder. "You'll be a part of this Game in a way dear Ashe and I could never be. Very soon."

X

I suck at writing Blood and Elliot. Wah! D:


	4. Garden Party

If you read, review. Don't like it? Tell me. Like it? Tell me. What's disconcerting is that I've gotten over 300 hits and few reviews. Reviews don't have to be positive. If there's a reason you don't like something, go ahead and say it. I'm just some schmuck over the internet. I don't bite.

X

Lilly had taken the foreigner in. Blood Dupre readily agreed. A foreigner was a valuable asset in the Game. Having one around was always a good idea.

Of course, Blood didn't like Michael. He didn't like him nearly as much as he had liked Alice. Where Alice had been a decent conversationalist, Michael was a difficult person to get along with. Worse yet, the mere presence of the boy caused a noticeable shift in his daughter's disposition. Her displays of affection towards the foreigner were embarrassing at best and demeaning to the whole Hatter family at worst.

"I'll go get me something more to drink," Michael said one day at a garden party. The whole family was sitting around the table, enjoying themselves.

"I'll get it," Lilly said quickly, snatching his cup.

He snatched it back. "No, I'll get it. I can do things for myself."

"Let me get it!" She pulled it back.

"Don't do everything for me!"

"I'll do what I want for you!" she cried, practically kicking him in the face to get the cup out of his hand. She knocked him out the chair, took the empty cup and scurried inside.

"She likes you," Elliot said, watching her leave.

"Oh really," Michael said. "She makes it so easy to tell. What with her gentle way of knocking me from my chair."

"I raised her to be tough," Elliot said, his tone proud. "Don't blame her if it just so happens to come into other areas of her life."

"She can be a coarse girl," Blood said, sipping his tea. "We're working on that." He gave Elliot a pointed look. "There's a difference between toughness and coarseness, after all."

"Of course, Blood! She's your daughter, after all. But she needs to be able to take care of herself."

"You raised her?" Michael said to Elliot.

"Yes," he said back, smiling.

"You've raised such a charming girl," he said sarcastically. "Truly her ruffian ways are an example for future generations."

"Watch how you speak of my daughter," Blood said calmly.

At this point Lilly came back to the table, a full cup of tea in her hands. "Here you go," she said. "It's hot, but if you're man enough then that won't be a problem." She sat down beside him. "I hope you're man enough. My future husband needs to be if he's going to be with me."

"I really hope this future husband isn't me," he said blandly. "I really, really hope."

She gave him a hurt look. "Well, of course it is. You're my foreigner, after all. I am the first Role Holder to find you, therefore I own you."

"What type of rule is that!" he exclaimed.

"It's not," Blood said. "She made it up."

"Look, I don't see you like that. I barely know you," Michael said. "So…this weird obsession-thing needs to stop."

She pursed her lips and looked as if she were about to say something biting.

Beside her Elliot looked like he was about to burst out laughing. "You really don't know the rules of this Game, do you? She can't help it. All Role Holders love foreigners."

"Even you guys?" Michael asked, mildly disgusted by the idea.

"Don't push it," Blood said, his voice dark.

"Ah, right," Michael said quickly. He certainly wasn't going to push the big bad mafia boss any further. As a result, the rest of the party was rather quiet, with Elliot and Lilly mostly chatting away about this and that for the next hour. Oddly enough, the girl seemed closer to the rabbit than she was to her own father. But, from Michael's understanding, it would naturally follow. Blood seemed to be a cold father.

The day then turned dark as the next cycle started.

Michael still had not gotten used to the time cycles of this place, and he still had problems sleeping at night. But he would deal with it and survive. It's what he always did.

X

"Ashe, you left rather quickly after your performance."

She barely turned around at the sound of the Joker's voice. All at once her face displayed fear and disgust. Her top lip curled and her eyes narrowed. "Oh, did I?" she said. "Well, my performance was over. I had no reason to stay."

He sat on the stool next to her vanity, smiling up at her. "Were you fraternizing with the foreigner by chance?"

"I suppose I was with the foreigner, yes. Temporarily. It didn't last long before I let him go."

"You let him go," he said, his voice dropping flatly.

"Yes."

"Why would you do that?" He glared at her ever so slightly. This was White Joker. He never outright showed anger, but she could tell he was angry in the subtle ways he moved.

She tried to formulate an answer in her head. At first she was going to keep the foreigner to herself. However, when it was clear that wouldn't be possible, she decided to let him go. It would be better to let him be free than let the Joker have him. She didn't want to give the Joker the pleasure of having the foreigner.

"You know I would be interested in a foreigner," he continued.

"Oh, would you?" she said. "Oops. I guess I let him go."

"You did let him go." The smile returned to his face. "But that's okay. I forgive you. I always forgive you, Ashe, no matter how often you fail me."

He patted her gently on the head. She stared at him coldly.

"What more could I want?" she said through clenched teeth.

"Do something for me, Ashe." He gently set a vial into her hand. "Get the foreigner to drink this. I'm sure you can do that."

"Is it poison?" "No. Simply something that will get him involved in the game. And then I want you to bring him to me. I always wanted a foreigner. Ever since your mother escaped me, I've been wanting another."

Escape was such a funny word for what her mother had done. It was more like run like a coward and abandon her only children to a father who couldn't care less for them. But Ashe smiled oddly and nodded. "Of course. I always listen to everything you say, don't I?"

He patted her on the head again like a dog. "You're such a good, pretty girl," he said. "You look just like your mother."

"I look nothing like Alice."

"You look everything like Alice. If you didn't look like Alice, do you honestly think people would put up with you?"

She looked away, crossing her arms. "I'm done with this conversation, Joker."

"And it was such a good conversation, too. You should learn to be more sociable."

With those final words he left her alone.


	5. Welcome to the Game

The time had cycled from night to evening when Ashe arrived at the Hatter residence. Dee and Dum let her through easily. They were used to her coming on some sort of business.

Lilly greeted her with the coldest glare she could muster.

"We currently have no work for you here," she said sharply.

"I know," Ashe said. "I'm just here to enjoy your wonderful company." A cold laugh. "Actually, I'm here to see the foreigner. Is he around?"

"Depends on what you're going to do with him."

"Nothing. I just want to see him."

"Why?"

"Because I want to see him," she said, exasperated. She looked around Lilly, as if the foriegner was hiding there. She knew she was not going to get any further with the girl. Lilly was in a defensive, combative mood that day. "I have something very important I need to tell him that doesn't concern you."

Lilly crossed her arms across her chest. "Yeah. Actually, it does concern me. I think-"

Just as she was about the continue onward, Michael came strutting over.

"Oh, Ashe," he said, his voice a touch wary. He was aware of how dangerous Ashe could be. "What are you doing here."

"Come aside with me for a moment," Ashe said, signaling for him to come with her. She looked pointedly at Lilly. "Alone."

He looked around nervously. "Is that really necessary?"

"Absolutely," said Ashe.

He went aside with Ashe. She pulled out a small vial and handed it to him. "Drink this," she said.

He laughed. "I'm not drinking any strange potions unless you force me." A smug smile. "So, how are you going to force me?" "By cutting open your stomach and pouring it in?"

"I love you," Michael said sarcastically. "Your way of brightening every situation is a beacon of hope for us all."

"Well, what did you want me to say?" She put her hands on her hips, cocking her head.

"Come on. I'm sure you can think of it if you try."

"Do you want me to force the bottle into your mouth?" she said. "Or cut your mouth open and pour the liqui-"

"NO!" He looked exasperated. "Why are all your solutions so violent?"

"Oh. Waiiit. You wanted mouth-to-mouth, right?" She grinned. "Well, sure. Why not. If it will get you take it."

Tipping the vial up, she poured the liquid into her mouth. Holding it in her mouth like so, she grabbed him by the back of his head and transferred the liquid through their lips in a mock kiss. She let him go, smiling.

"Welcome to the Game," she said. "I hope you enjoy it."

She turned and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" he said.

She shrugged. "I've done what I'm supposed to do foreigner. Now you're on your own." She laughed coldly. "Oh, but how fun you'll find our little Game!"


	6. In the Forest

Things settled into the mundane for Michael at the Hatter estate. He found himself enjoying the luxuries of the place, and most of all he loved the many books Blood kept. He spent some time with Lilly, chatting with her out in the garden. Her weird infatuation for him never subsided.

"You should really get over me," Michael said as they sat in the garden together. Michael had taken to sneaking Lilly cups of coffee. After all the stress she was put under with being the only person handling the budget of the Hatter household he figured she needed it.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just-I don't know. I just like you so much I don't know what to do about it! It drives me crazy!"

"More crazy than you already are?" he said dryly.

"Ha ha. You're so hilarious I forgot to laugh. God. I deal with this sort of thing from the twins all the time. Do not try to get on my bad side, Michael," she said, rolling her eyes. She settled down in her chair, sipping on her coffee. "This stuff is so good," she said.

"I guess. Tea's better."

"Now you sound like my father," she said bleakly. They were silent for an awkward moment before she said, "Hey, don't you think there's some sexual tension between me and you? Just a little, Michael?"

"Sure, I do," he said, sipping his tea. "I also believe there is violent tension and get-the-hell-away-from-me-you're-crazy tension." "Can't you take anything serious?"

"Sorry. Defense mechanism against girls in weird realities who get strange crushes on me and ask me about sexual tension."

"Why you-" She began, and her words were certainly going to be biting if she hadn't been interrupted.

The twins came behind them. "Aw. Look, brother. Little sister is on a date."

"Yes, a date with the foreigner."

"It's not a date," Michael said. "We're just drinking tea together. We're not-"

Another interruption. Something stirred and crawled from out under the table. Even the twins watched curiously as Ashe appeared, pushing the table cloth aside. She yawned and adjusted her clothes.

"Are you serious?" Lilly said. "You were here the entire time?"

"Yes, and your lovely conversation with Michael woke me up. By the way, no, I don't think there's any sexual tension between the two of you. I think you're just obsessed."

"You were asleep under the table?" Michael said, not able to wrap his mind around the idea. "What? Don't you live at the Circus? Can't you sleep there?"

"Here was more convenient," Ashe said brightly, but Michael could tell there was more.

"Yeah. Under the table was so much better than a warm bed back home. Why didn't you really want to go back?" he said.

"Because," she said, tightening her lips. "I just didn't. I go where I want." She shrugged. He saw a sad look cross her face, but she replaced it quickly with an eerie, ill-fitting smile.

"Lilly, I'm going aside with Ashe for a second," Michael said, standing from his chair. He realized Lilly wasn't even listening at all. She was too busy fighting with the twins about the coffee in her hands. He only could hear bits and pieces of their rapid-fire conversation.

He shook his head, sighed, and looked at Ashe. "Will you tell me if we're alone?"

She cocked her head, watching him suspiciously. "Why do you care?"

"Because you're a sad person to me. I was a psychology major back home. Broken people like you are my forte."

She laughed coldly. "I'm not broken. Don't try to fix me, foreigner. Be a good little tool. Find yourself a nice Roleholder and have lots of children to abandon. That's what real foreigners do."

"Ah-ha!" Michael triumphantly pointed a finger at her. "You have abandonment issues. It all goes back to your childhood. I bet you have daddy issues, too! Wouldn't that be something!" The psychologist in Michael was thrilled to have such a messed-up case as Ashe.

"I never said that!"

"Daddy issues?" Twin voices asked in unison. The twins stopped arguing with Lilly and looked to see what Ashe and Michael were doing. "Who has daddy issues?"

"She does!" Michael said proudly. "She has a case of Oedipal complex! I mean, Elektra complex since she's a girl."

"Huh?" Ashe's lip curled.

Michael explained what an Oedipal complex was. The twins burst out laughing. Lilly looked horrified. Ashe looked murderous.

"…and that is the problem that has been plaguing you since childhood," Michael concluded.

"I despise my father," Ashe said. "How dare you suggest otherwise."

"I'm sorry," Michael said, shaking his head. "I'm a psychologist. We see things as they are."

"Give me your neck, so I can wring it," she said. "If you knew who my father was…such a thing wouldn't even cross your mind. What pervert came up with that theory!"

"Freud."

"I will hunt him down!"

Michael shrugged. "He's already dead."

"I'll hunt down every single descendent he has until his bloodline is purged!"

"Uh, yeah," Michael said. "Have fun with that."

The twins walked off, both amused enough for the next week. Lilly was not sad to see them leave.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you," Ashe said, brushing his shoulder. He realized that her personality had just switched from murderous to seductive within the span of a second. "Unless you do something for me."

"What?" Michael said. "It involves something dangerous, doesn't it?"

Lilly glared harshly at Ashe. "Don't do it, Michael. She's just a nasty slut."

"Come on, Michael," Ashe purred. "You want to come with me. We'll have sooo much fun together…walking in the woods…alone…" She looked at Lilly, who was fuming.

"Sure, why not," Michael said. He was not a difficult person to convince.

"I can think of several reasons," Lilly muttered.

X

They walked through the woods. Michael was thankful that Ashe seemed to know her way around so well, for he could barely tell one tree from another.

"So what was your real reason for not sleeping at the Circus," Michael said. "I promise not to bring any of my psychology theories into it."

"It's…a lot of things. Very complicated. You don't need to hear them," she said quickly.

"Come on. Tell me. I agreed to come, it's the least you can do."

She gave him a long, searching look, before sighing and giving in, her shoulders slumping."I just can't stand that place or the Joker. If I have the opportunity I'd be anywhere but there. Hence, the table. Sure, it was a little uncomfortable, but I'm not one to complain."

She led him through the woods, not talking for most of the trip.

"You seem to know your way around," he said.

"I used to come here all the time as a little girl," was her simple reply.

"For some reason it's hard to picture you as ever being an innocent little girl."

"Who says I was innocent? I'm a rotten bitch now and I was a rotten bitch then. I was just pint-size."

"Makes sense," Michael said.

They traveled a little further in. Michael could barely hear Ashe's footsteps. Unfortunately, he was much noisier than her. Leaves and twigs crumbled and broke beneath his feet. If there was something to step on that would make noise, he found it. He saw Ashe grit her teeth several times at him, and several times she spoke sharply to him.

After a while she indicated for him to stop and pointed into the distance. He saw something in the distance that looked like a tent.

"You're going to have to be quiet from here on out," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," he said sarcastically. "Anything else you need?"

"Nope. That will be all." She smiled sharply.

They moved forward a few feet. Suddenly she held her arm out to stop him from moving forward any further.

"You see that man near the tent?" She crouched down, her breath coming out quietly. His gaze followed where she pointed. "I'm going to kill him."

"Wait-what? You can't just kill people at random."

"Not random. Oh no. This has been in my plans for a very, very long time."

"Ugh." Michael scrunched up his face. "I'm not going to be involved in you murdering someone." He started to turn around.

She grabbed his arm and hissed in his ear.

"Listen, I know how foreigners think but it doesn't work like that here. That's the first thing you must learn if you're going to survive. You can't walk around thinking like you did back in your old world. This isn't your old world."

"This has to do with you murdering someone how?" He shook her hand off.

"He's an evil man." Her eyes narrowed. "Believe me."

"Right. All I have is your word to go on. That doesn't mean much. Come on. Forget about this. Let's go back." He touched her arm, and she sighed.

"I'll do it whether you think it's right or not," she said, and with those words she charged forward, drawing several knives from the selection on her body.

He froze and watched, genuinely frightened for the man.

The man's reaction was odd. As she came charging towards him, he simply smiled and waved.

Without stopping for a moment, she swiped at him. He easily side-stepped her, laughing.

"Still after me?" he said.

"I'll never stop," she said. She swiped at him again with both her sword arms, the knives she held gleaming in the sunlight.

The man laughed again harder, as once again he avoided her attack. "You know you can just walk away from this if you want," he said.

"Walk away? Absolutely never," she said.

The man shrugged and drew a drew his sword.

The next few minutes were too brutal for Michael to watch. Ashe never had a chance. When it was all over she lied on the ground, bloody and shaking, anger and pain distorting her face.

The brown-haired man looked down on her body, scratching his cheek. He smiled. "Hm. Well, looks like you should've walked away when I gave you the chance, huh?"

Michael watched, not sure what to do. It seemed cowardly to remain hidden, but what could he do? He jumped inwardly when he heard rustling behind him.

"Oh, how stupid you can be," he heard Bryon's voice. He turned.

"I tried to stop her," Michael said quickly. "But…"

"No one can stop her when she gets it in her head to do something. It's just up to other people to clean it up. Namely, me."

"Who is that guy, anyway?" Michael squinted into the distance.

"His name's Ace," Bryon said as he walked past Michael to his sister where he picked her up and looked at Ace accusingly. "Was this really necessary?" he said.

"It's just a light wound," Ace said. "She probably won't die."

She grasped onto her brother's coat. She glared into the distance at nothing in particular, her breathing coming out in shallow gasps.

"What if she does die?" Bryon said. "I'll be disappointed if I'm one less a sister."

Ace shrugged. "Then she dies. She was obviously never important enough the have a replacement, right? She shouldn't messing with this Game, anyway. She's not a part of it. She has no place in it."

At his words, her grip on Bryon's coat tightened. "That's what they always say," she whispered bitterly.

"Well, if one of you could point me the way out of this forest, I think we'll be on even terms," Ace said. "What with you randomly deciding to attack me and all."

Ashe glared and said nothing.

"Uh, how about you just start walking in any random direction. It usually works for you," Bryon said.

Ace gave him a thumbs-up sign. "Right! It does. I'm sure I'll find my way out of here eventually. Take care of your sister, okay! I'm sure she won't die…maybe she will. But no hard feelings, right?"

Bryon's smile turned strained. "Sure," he said. "Just start walking."

"Okay!" Before Ace left, he caught sight of Michael. "New foreigner? I heard about you. Your kind always tends to change things around here. Try not to change things to much or I'll kill you, okay?"

Michael wasn't sure how to react. Of course, he was quickly growing used to these sorts of threats from Ashe, so he wasn't as scared as he normally would be.

"I'll…try not to," he said.

When Ace was gone, Bryon set Ashe down and began to treat her wounds.

Michael crouched down beside them.

"Who's this Ace person supposed to be?" Michael said. "And why is Ashe trying to kill him?"

"He's our father," said Bryon. "And she's trying to kill him because she obviously doesn't care if she dies."

"I told you not to tell anyone!" she said sharply.

"Oh hush you," Bryon said. "You're injured. Injured people are supposed to bleed and not talk. Silent now? Good."

"If it helps, I believe you about not having an Oedipal complex now," Michael said.

The mention of Oedipal complex earned a sharp glare from Ashe.

"How'd you know to come, anyway?" Michael looked weirdly at Bryon. "You kind of came out of no where."

"He's a stalker," Ashe said.

"Because I know that if she's not at the Circus or the Hatter estate then she's probably causing trouble here," Bryon said, ignoring her.

"Would he really kill me?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Bryon said simply. "He doesn't kill Ashe because he thinks her attempts to kill him are funny."

Ashe clenched her fists. "I'm sure he'll find it hilarious when I truly do kill him."

"He's a Roleholder. He doesn't care if he dies, anyway, so it doesn't really matter anyway," Bryon said. "Now let's get you back to safety so we can treat these wounds."

"I'll carry her," Michael said.

Bryon looked at him oddly. "All right."

Michael set his hands beneath her back, but lifting her turned out to be an impossible task. He was a skinny intellectual. Ashe watched him impatiently.

"Having problems, manly man?" she said, giggling. "It's all right. I think I can walk back, anyway."

Michael sighed, annoyed at his lack of strength.

"Yeah, that's gotta be embarrassing," Bryon said, easily lifting her up. "Ever consider physical activity. Might help you, foreigner."

Michael glared. "Not everyone can be a muscle-bound freak," he said.

"I have a perfect physique," said Bryon.

"Oh my god." Ashe buried her head in her hands. "Good thing I'm not injured and in need of treatment."


	7. The Ball

Seasons in Wonderland were nothing like back home as Michael had once known them. They were stagnant and dependent upon the territory you were in. The Hatter manor was always a peaceful, blissful autumn, just as he liked it. The other seasons were not so much.

"It's not always like this. Usually it's the time that changes," Elliot explained to him.

Lilly walked somewhere to the side of Elliot, watching Michael carefully. She always had a strange look in her eyes.

"I'm sure he's figured that out by now," she said impatiently. "We have more important matters to discuss."

"Excuse me, I was actually genuinely interested in learning a little about this world," Michael said. "It may be ordinary to you, Lilly, but it's all so new to me. So thanks Elliot."

"Don't mind her," Elliot said. "She just doesn't understand foreigners very well. She hasn't been around very man, after all. You're the very first for her."

"Was there a foreigner before me?" he said.

Elliot's look turned pained. "Well, there was," he said. "But she's not here anymore."

"Has anybody figured out why she simply decided to leave so suddenly?" Lilly said. "Or is it one of those things we'll never know? All I know is everyone is still rather upset over her leaving. At least, all I ever hear is about how said it is that Alice is gone…"

Elliot tried desperately to change the subject. "Lilly, you know the Heart Castle is hosting another ball?"

"Is it?" she said blandly. "How wonderful. But, of course, I'm sure this one will be as awful as the last one. Vivaldi never knows how to throw a good ball."

The conversation turned towards the more light-hearted subject of the ball, but Michael couldn't forget about Alice. He felt somehow this girl was important. The key was discovering how.

Was it because she was a foreigner like him, lost and out of place? Did something horrible happen to her because of this?

Or did he feel somehow that her fate may become his own? Somehow, inexplicably the idea came to his mind that this Wonderland may be a darker place than he had first considered it. This troubled him deeply.

X

The ball was a spectacle with decorations strewn from the ceilings and the beautiful and elegant Vivaldi at the helm of it all.

Michael couldn't help but stare. He'd never seen a woman who exuded such grace and elegance before. But, of course, like all things in this new and strange land he suspected that there was something dark beneath all the beauty and elegance. Only time would reveal it.

Lilly looked nice, of course. It was her duty as the Hatter's daughter. For once she let her hair down. It fell about to her fingers. She didn't look as nice as Vivaldi, but that wasn't something Michael would tell her. The peculiar thing about Lilly was that no matter what she did she always looked slightly frumpy. It was an air, he decided.

"It used to be longer," Lilly said.

"What?" said Michael.

"My hair. It was longer. It's only recently grown out again."

"Oh. So you cut it," he said, trying to make light-hearted conversation.

"No. Ashe did." She glared into the crowds of faceless people dancing on the floor. "It was about two years or so ago. She and I got in a fight and she held me down and used one of her knives to cut my hair off."

Michael watched Lilly, shocked.

"She's like that," Lilly said. "She's dangerous. And you know the worse of it? Father didn't do a single thing about it. Why? Because Ashe is useful. Ashe is also a bitch who thinks the rules don't apply to her." Her voice turned bitter. "Don't fall for her schemes. She's got something planned for you."

"Um." Michael looked at her, dumb-founded. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know." Lilly shrugged. "Sometimes she shows up for these things, sometimes she doesn't. Mostly she doesn't. Thank god. She just causes trouble when she does." There was an awkward pause. "Look, Michael, I care about you. I don't want to see something bad happen…and I have a very bad feeling about Ashe. It's not just her. It's the Joker, too. She's nothing more than their puppet. She tries to pretend she's not, but she's just a pitiful puppet. Then again, can she really be any other way? She was raised by him…and everyone knows what he's like."

Lilly didn't seem overly interested in dancing. She stayed to the side, preferring instead to watch other people dance around her. Michael stayed by her, making small-talk. All the time he kept thinking about Ashe. Was she truly that dangerous? What made her tick? What made her who she was? Why did everyone seem to dislike her so much?

He'd heard once that she was simply a bad girl, but there had to be more to her than that. He loved psychology, after all, and he loved to analyze people. Ashe seemed like she would be an interesting person to learn about, to pick apart, to see what made her who she was.

Then he saw Ashe and her brother arrive. They had put no effort into dressing up. She looked like she had stepped right out of the Circus (and, indeed, she had). Her clothes were gaudy and scanty.

Lilly watched them with disgust.

Like a magnet, the moment the two saw Michael, they smiled and came over as if drawn.

Lilly made an excuse to be away from them.

"Michael," Bryon said.

"My favorite foreigner," said Ashe. She touched his arm. "How are you? I'm sorry if I can't get you anything, but I'm afraid I have to go say hello to a few people."

"You just want to bug Lilly," Bryon said, his expression dropping.

"Of course!" said Ashe. "You know how happy she'll be to see me."

Michael shook his head. "I don't know whether to find your feud with Lilly sad or hilarious, but I just want you to know that I'll be there whenever the two of you feel like cat-fighting. It's my duty as a man."

"Then I'll be sure you're there to fulfill your manly duties." She let out a drawn-out sigh. "I know it's insignificant but dear Lilly has no other way to spend her time, really. Without me she'd be absolutely bored to death. She's a boring person, you understand."

As Ashe left, Michael looked at Bryon.

"This alternate dimension is simply amazing!" he said. "The girls may be slightly insane, but they all want me! It's entirely different from home"

"Who says the men don't, too?" Bryon said with a grin.

"Uh, excuse me?" Michael said.

"Everyone loves you," he said.

"You're…gay?"

"Actually, I go both ways!" He laughed and stretched out his arms. "So give me a hug, friend!" "Ack!" Michael said, reeling away. "Just to make things clear I don't feel that way about you."

"But you think my sister's hot. Why not me?"

"Correction: I think your sister's slightly psychotic, dangerous, selfish and…last of all, hot. But she's all those other things first."

Lilly came storming over, her brows knitted together, her mouth a deep frowning line. "Please keep your hands off of Michael, Bryon. I only dislike you slightly less than your sister."

"Yes ma'am," Bryon said sarcastically, holding his hands off. "As you said yourself, he is your foreigner."

"Yes, he is," she said, glaring at him.

"I never-" Michael began to say.

"You don't matter!" she said sharply. "I mean, you do…but you don't."

"You remember earlier how I said the girls all want me as if it was a good thing?" Michael said.

"Yeah?" said Bryon.

"Well, it's not. I've changed my mind. It sucks."

Lilly stepped on his foot. "We're going dancing," she announced, and grabbed poor Michael's hand.

X

Sorry if Ace was OOC last chapter. I'll look into revision. Meanwhile, feedback welcomed!


	8. Danger

"Your dancing is atrocious," Lilly said. "I might as well sit this whole thing out."

"Be my guest," said Michael, annoyed.

"I think I will." She disengaged herself from his arms. "Where did you learn to dance, anyway?"

"I didn't."

She blinked. "Oh dear. What sort of barbarian family raised you? Aren't you supposed to be educated?"

"I apologize if my education had more to do with actual learning than stumbling around in a way some call dancing."

She pursed her lips. "You treat me with such disdain," she said. "No matter how much I say I love you."

He shook his head. "You can say you love me all you want, but it doesn't make it real, Lilly. Besides, you're the one who treats me with disdain. Maybe if you tried to be a little nicer."

"This is me being nice."

"Then we're in trouble," he said.

"Excuse me if I was never really taught how to be nice. There are other things a Mafioso's daughter must learn, you understand. Maiming, killing and torturing being top-priority."

"That does not surprise me. It seems like that's everyone's top priority here."

"Yes, well, welcome to my world." She gestured around. "It's a beautiful place, in a way. But you have to be strong, Michael, or you'll never survive."

"Good. At least I know I'm screwed now." He sighed. "I'm anything but strong."

"Not just physically," she snapped. "Mentally. You have to be able to act tough. Even if, god forbid, you can't use a gun, at least act like you can."

"I'll try."

"You have so much to learn. I can't teach you everything…unless you decide to marry me. Then I'll be sure to show you everything."

"No thanks."

"You'll give into my love someday," she said, pride coloring her voice.

"Maybe. I'll also go crazy someday, too, so that doesn't mean much," he said blandly.

She shot him a haughty glare. "I'm the best you can do around here."

"And, trust me, that keeps me awake at night."

"I won't stand for your sarcasm," she said, turning around. "I am going somewhere else so you may think on what you've done and learn to appreciate me."

"I appreciate that you're gone," he muttered as she left. The truth was that he didn't hate Lilly. Not in the slightest. He had grown fond of her as a friend. This did not mean he stopped shooting his mouth off whenever he could. He couldn't help it. Sarcasm was second nature to him.

A moment later Lilly reappeared, her expression dark.

"I still don't appreciate you," he said.

"Of course you don't," she replied. "But it's either you or those horrible twins. You're all bastards, it's just you're slightly less so."

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"I told you I could be nice."

"Are you the foreigner?" said a voice. Both Michael and Lilly turned.

"Mr. White," Lilly said, grabbing onto Michael's arm. She seemed on guard. "What do you want with us?"

A tall man stood before them, his eyes red, his hair white. He had rabbit ears that twitched occasionally in frustration.

"The Queen wants to meet with you. Not you," he said, pointing at Lilly. "Him. Whatever your name is."

"I'm Michael."

"Yes, yes, Michael. The Queen wants to see you. Don't keep her waiting," he said, not really caring what his name was.

"The Queen?" Michael looked confused. "What would she want with me?"

"I don't know what Vivaldi would want with you," she said. "Other than the fact you're a foreigner. I'll go with you to ensure that you don't say anything stupid. Vivaldi's an easily offended, angry woman."

"I'm used to dealing with you. She can't be all that different. The only difference is that unlike her you're short, angry and easily-offended." "You're such a bastard, Michael."

"Thank you."

"But," she continued. "Thankfully my love can survive stronger trials than your sarcasm."

"…damn."

"Well, then," Lilly said. "Shall we go meet the Queen? By the way, don't even think of using sarcasm on her." She began straightening his clothes so that he at least looked presentable. "She doesn't have my patience."

He tried not to burst out laughing. "Yes, Lilly, surely you're the most patient of us all."

Ignoring his comment, she took him by the hand and led him forward towards the Queen on her throne.

X

Michael couldn't help but worry. There standing before him was a woman who cut an impervious figure, the Queen of Hearts herself. Guards surrounded her, their weapons held at the ready. To her side sat a man he assumed to be the King.

As he carefully approached her, he noticed a look of mild disgust on her face.

"Foreigner," she said. "Is there any reason you couldn't visit us earlier?"

"Please forgive him," Lilly said, bowing. She smacked Michael on the back as she went down, indicating that he should bow along with her. He did so clumsily, and came back up looking unsure.

"I'm sorry. I was staying at the Hatter's place," he said. "And I guess I just forgot."

"Forgot?" She said, her voice tightening.

"Well, no," Michael said. "Look, I didn't even really know who you were. I didn't make it a habit to explore outside the Hatter mansion too much because of all the weapon-wielding maniacs around."

"Didn't know who we were?" Her tone was so tight it sounded like it could snap. Her eyes were narrowed. "We are displeased that you never even _bothered _to come see us."

"Sorry?" he said weakly. "If it helps, I definitely know who you are now and won't forget any time soon."

"He won't, your Majesty," Lilly said. "He knows better now. Please, it's my fault. He spent his time with me. We're lovers, and you know how distracting that is."

Michael gave her a disbelieving look. "No we're not," he said.

The Queen tapped her finely-done fingernails on the edge of her throne. "You'd rather spend your time with Blood Dupre?"

"No," Michael said. "I would have spent time with you if I knew you existed."

"And that is the part that displeases us so. You never bothered to find out who we are. We are important, after all. The fact you have not heard of us is distressing…and offensive."

Lilly's face contorted with worry. She held her hands out, waving them in front of her in a pleading gesture. "We didn't mean to offend you, Your Majesty!" she said quickly.

"Not you, Lilly. I am not displeased with you at the moment. It's this foreigner."

"I'm really sorry," he said.

"You are a horrible foreigner. Alice was much more adorable than you."

"I hear that a lot," he said. It seemed like everyone thought Alice was all-around much better than he was.

"Therefore, off with your head!" Her proclamation shook Michael to his core.

"Wait-what?" he said. "Off with my what! As in death? Just because I didn't visit you?"

She settled back into her throne.

"Is that really necessary?" the King said.

"Of course it is. We can't allow anyone to disrespect us."

"But he is a foreigner," the King continued, trying to reason with the stubborn woman. "People will be most displeased if you just kill him."

"He is not a foreigner anyone likes," she said. "He is a foolish person."

"I like him," Lilly said. She watched helplessly as Michael was restrained by several guards. She was not a fighter. All her life she had relied on Elliot, the twins or her father for protection. In short, there was very little she could do.

"That's not right, Vivaldi!" She turned, stamping her foot. "Can't you please let him go? Please, auntie!"

"Do not call us that again or you will be next," she snapped.

Michael fought at the encroaching guards, but there was nothing he could do. Finally, exhausted, defeated, he gave up.

"I'll get him out of this! Just watch me!" she said.

"As soon as possible, please," Michael said, his hands now restrained behind his back. "I like my head where it is, you know.

With a huff, Lilly turned and left, making her way to the best recourse she had: her father.

X

"Daddy, you have to do something," Lilly whined. "Vivaldi's going to kill my foreigner!"

"Is she?" Blood said calmly. "What's his offense?" Sitting at a table as dancing people whirled by them, he drank some tea from his cup.

"Nothing pretty much," she responded. "You know how that woman is. Come on, we have to do something."

Blood sighed heavily and shook his head. "There's not much I can do. It's against the rules to interfere."

"But-"

"There's really no buts. I don't particularly want you to do anything about it, either. You're a Roleholder now, Lilly. That means you play by the rules of this Game whether you like it or not."

She looked as if she was about to be in tears. Her eyes shined. "I can't just let Michael die."

"I didn't say you should," he said. "I just said_ you _had to play by the rules of the game. Now, think very carefully about your next step." He leaned forward. "What you need now is a way to bypass the rules. How do you do that?"

"Well…" she thought for a moment. Was there a way to bypass the rules? Ever since she became a Roleholder she had been taught there was no way to ignore them. They were a constant fact of life.

But…that meant Michael would die. She couldn't accept that.

"What are you getting at?" she said.

"It's a simple question," he said. "How do you bypass the rules?"

What Blood meant suddenly hit Lilly. "Absolutely not!" she said. "I won't ask Ashe for anything ever. It'll only come back to haunt me."

"Then Michael dies."

"…I don't want him to die," she said, her tone low. "But really, Ashe? Surely there is some other way?"

"Her brother, perhaps, but he's not skilled as his sister. Think on it, Lilly. You don't have many options."

She sat down in a chair beside him, staring at the table bleakly. "I'll do it. But I won't ever be happy about it."

"Of course. Sometimes that's how it goes. Tea?" Blood said, offering to pour her some.

She made a disgusted face. "No thank you."

"Suit yourself," he said in a way that showed clear disappointment. "I'm sure you'd prefer coffee, anyway."

She didn't bother to respond, as she had other more important topics on her mind.


	9. Trouble

Business occurred in a dark room off to the side of Vivaldi's ball room. At the fine wooden table sat two people, eyeing each other uneasily. The shadows caught their faces, making them nothing more than obscure shapes to each other. Muted voices from adjacent rooms wafted in, filling the otherwise heavy silence between them.

Bryon looked around, humor on his face. "Whatever could the prideful Mafia Princess want with me in a dank, dark room?"

Lilly's lip curled. _He's only slightly less distasteful than his sister. _"I need your help," she said.

"Oh?" He leaned forward, elbow on the table, chin in his hand. "I'm listening. h

"Vivaldi's going to behead Michael…"

"…and you want Ashe to do what she does best. Namely, destroying things without mercy. You know if she helps you there's no guarantee that Michael will come out of this all right."

"Well, does it look like I have any other options?" she said unhappily.

"A lot of card soldiers are going to gruesomely die, but you don't mind that, do you? You're a big, important Roleholder, after all. What are the faceless to you?"

"Don't bait me."

"I'm only telling the truth. What are the faceless to you? Worse than nothing compared to your greatness."

"Oh, be quiet!" She barked. "You're worse than faceless yourself. Both you and your sister."

Even though he smiled, she could tell that her insult hit him deeply somewhere, as his smile was twisted and horrible. "Is this really the way to get someone to work with you? How about you try and put your distaste for me aside for one moment so you can accomplish something?" He wagged his finger mockingly. "Such a bad Hatter you are. So unable to manipulate people…"

"I don't need to manipulate people." Her voice was low, soft and dangerous. She hated when people assumed she had to be some sort of manipulative back-stabber just because of who her father was. "Will you help me or not, Bryon?"

He shrugged. "Frankly? I don't know. I don't care for Michael one way or the other, really. He's just there for me. I guess I don't feel those twangs of love you Roleholders do." He looked around, bored. "And second, do you really think Ashe listens to me? The best I could hope to do is firmly suggest that she help you, but she's probably not going to listen."

"So that's it?" Lilly leaned back in her chair. "It's over. There's no hope for him."

"Bad things happen to foreigners. It's just how it is when you're in the wrong world. Remember Alice…poor, poor Alice…" His voice was wistful.

"Whatever did happen to Alice?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Nobody will tell me. But it probably wasn't good, whatever happened."

Something stirred in the shadows before Lilly could reply. A dark shape leaned over Bryon, and in the dim light Lilly could make out eyes, one red and the other blue.

"Oh. I forgot to mention I went ahead and invited my sister to the meeting anyway. Hope you don't mind."

A look of outrage and anger mixed on Lilly's face.

"I'll help," Ashe said. "And I'll do it for almost free, so long as you let me have the foreigner."

"What!" cried Lilly. "I can't just let you have him! You just want to use him for whatever sick purposes you have."

"How about we let him choose?" Bryon said.

Ashe watched him oddly. "Why?"

"Because he's a free-thinking individual with a mind of his own?" Bryon said.

"Hm." Ashe contemplated this, her eyes on the far wall. "Well, he'll choose me, anyway. He's an idiot. I can tell him I'm bad for his health and all that, and he'll still choose me every single time. Yes, that sounds like fun. We'll let the foreigner decide who he wants."

Lilly pursed her lips and made a sour face.

Ashe held out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"

"Is this the only way to get you to help?"

"Yes."

"Then…." She took Ashe's cold hand in her own and shook, feeling every bit like she was making a deal with the devil. "Yes. Just get him out of this alive."

With a smile, Ashe slinked from the room.

* * *

Vivaldi didn't want to behead someone during her ball because it would make the affair bloody and messy, so she had Michael locked away in a little room in a high tower for afterwards.

It was a modest space that had a bed with a heart-shaped headboard. The walls were similarly decorated in heart paintings and bright purples and pinks. The colors were morbidly ironic considering the dark fate that awaited him in only a few hours. He sat on the bed, thinking.

The door burst off of its hinges and in lunged Ashe, looking feral and wild, her hair a mess around her head. She reeked of death, and she was marked red with blood.

"So are you here to kill or rescue me?" he said warily, immediately standing up, ready to run.

"Rescue. The killing comes when I feel like it. We all have to die, after all."

He frowned. "Well, you can't hate me that much. You have come to rescue me, after all."

"No, I don't hate you." She fixed her hair, patting it down around her head, and slowly sauntered towards him.

"Heh. Maybe you have subliminal attraction?"

He meant it as a joke, a way to calm himself down, but she didn't take it like that. She leaned in close to him, her hot breath on his face, a hard smile on her lips. "Oh, foolish foreigner, I'm not a Roleholder. I don't love you. I want to destroy you. I want to tear you apart."

Michael took an involuntary step backwards. He was beginning to understand why people hated Ashe.

"You want me, right, foreigner? But don't you know I've killed every man I've been with? Why? Because I hate them. Because I can. Because I don't need them."

"I really pity you," he said. "You're so sad." He didn't know any other way to describe it. There seemed to be this infinite sadness in Ashe that always manifested itself in everything she did. She needed help. She needed something, something to fill the void in her heart, something to fill the emptiness. He wasn't one to feel pity, but he'd be damned if he didn't feel it then for her.

"You don't need to pity me," she said. "I'm really no one." She looked out the small window, her expression fierce. The light cut a rough angle on her face, making her red eye gleam, unsettling him.

"Uh huh," he said, watching her. "You're not a wounded soul at all."

"Don't call me that! I'm not broken, and I'll be damned if you try to fix me."

"But you're not right either!" Just as he said it, he wanted to take it back. She gave him a sour look.

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think that is the one thing that is made clear to me every day of my life? That I am not right? But why am I telling you this? You're just a stupid boy who can't stay out of trouble. So come along, boy, I will bring you to Lilly and everything will be just wonderful." She smiled half-heartedly. "Or do you have anything else you want to anger me with?"

"Look, I'm sorry." He kicked his feet. "I…can't control my mouth sometimes. Well, okay, I can control my mouth. I just don't. I'm a moron, you see."

She watched him, her expression softening. Something akin to a genuine smile lighted her lips. "The first step is admitting it."

"You can be scary as hell. Frankly, you disturb me. But you…fascinate me."

"Fascinate?"

"Yeah. There's just something…odd about you. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I hate it."

She didn't know what to say, so she tried to change the subject. "Well, I guess we best get you out of here before—"

They heard footsteps echoing in the hall beyond the room.

* * *

Lilly waited anxiously in the ballroom, the high ceiling seeming to engulf her, as she lost herself in thoughts of everything that could go wrong. Around her people danced but she paid them no attention, and the songs of the orchestra were muted to her.

She sighed heavily. Ashe could get bored and simply decide to kill him. That was what Ashe always did, after all.

She leaned against a table filled with platters of fancy food. Across the crowd of swirling dancers was a mirror on the wall. She saw her reflection at intervals when the people danced aside. There she saw a small, round-faced girl with tiny lips and large eyes. Her face; a face she had been given.

And a face so many others have had.

Other women had had her role before her, and many would have it after her. She was just one in a long conveyor belt line.

She had heard that the woman who formerly had her role, the past Red Queen, had been a recluse until one day she very mysteriously died and Lilly very mysteriously got a face and a role. The faceless little girl who scampered about the Hatter Estate became an important person in the Game.

Blood had treated her with the same disdain and nonchalance as always. She wondered why he still didn't give a damn about her. Wasn't she perfect now? Was having a face, a role not enough?

"Aww! You're so cute now, Lilly!" Elliot had said, as if having a face meant everything. Her twelve-year-old self had blushed and muttered something under her breath.

She was shaken from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She looked back coldly to see Bryon.

"Your sister better be back soon."

"You do realize what you've done by unleashing her, right?"

She raised a thin eyebrow. "Explain," she demanded.

"You've unleashed hell, pretty much. You've created complications, problems over one foreigner. Surely that bothers you, princess?"

She snorted at his calling her a princess, but she had to admit he was right. She did create-

There was a stir in the crowd. The faceless continued dancing, but the card soldiers began to march. Orders were shouted by the imperious Vivaldi herself, her voice filling the banquet hall.

"Oh my god," she said.

Bryon smiled. "See what you've done? Silly girl, didn't you know this would happen? Ashe is anything but subtle."

"Yes, of course!" Lilly's sharp voice rang out. "I just…"

Bryon leaned calmly against the wall. "And now, princess, we wait and see what happens. It should be interesting."

"You're something of a bastard, you know that?"

"Huh. Just a little."


	10. The End of the Rescue

Ashe drew her knives, ready for the footsteps that became louder and louder with each moment. Michael could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest.

The doorway was soon crowded by several card soldiers, their eyeless faces eerie to Michael. He moved back towards the window as Ashe stepped forward, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

She tumbled behind the first of the soldiers, slicing his throat quickly and efficiently. She laughed as she twirled to the next and killed him, too. Watching her was like watching a practiced dancer at work, her feet moving quickly and swiftly, her deadly dance continuing onward.

Michael had never seen anyone die. He felt something rise in his throat, and he barely kept it down. Head feeling light, he closed his eyes and prayed that it would all end.

Something jabbed him in the knee. "Come on," she said.

He looked up at her uneasily. "Do you have a vomit bag?"

"What? Can't take a little bit of blood? You won't last long here then." But it wasn't just a little. She was covered head-to-toe, and she stunk of death. Even her lips and hair were stained crimson. _She looks like a monster_, he thought.

"They're just faceless," she said. "From what I'm told their lives don,t matter. Mine neither. Now get up."

Using the wall as leverage, he helped himself up. With her encouragement, they moved from the room as fast as they could, stepping over the cold bodies of the dead. It was an experience that left him feeling numb.

Running frantically through the hall, taking no time to enjoy the scenery, the two stopped suddenly. A man in a long coat stood solidly before them. He smiled, leaning on a large sword. "As a Knight of Hearts I couldn't just let you leave. The Queen wants me to deal with you, so I guess I have to."

"The foreigner's mine," she said, pushing Michael back. "I'm not about to give him up for that hag to kill."

_Oh, brilliant_, Michael thought. _Because I remember how well it went last time she fought him_.

"I won't be able to spare you if you fight me this time, Ashe."

"I'm not asking to be spared," she said. "Because I wouldn't spare you."

"Look, people," Michael said. "There are ways to solve conflict besides bashing each other's brains in"

"Hm? Really?" Ace put his hand to his chin.

"We could talk this out," he tried lamely.

They both laughed at him.

"I don't think so," she said.

_It was worth a try_, he thought. He had a feeling it could go no other way. These were the sort of people who lived for a good fight, who loved bloodshed and violence. The best he could do was try not to get caught in the middle of it (AKA cower like a little girl in the corner).

_This is ridiculous, _he thought. _She's only going to get soundly defeated...again_. _Or worse_. He wrung his hands. Why did he care? All she had done so far for him was bang down the door and rescue him. Still, it would be a shame to see her die. She was an interesting subject, and right then she was all that stood between him and death.

"Hey!" Ace laughed as he dodged Ashe's swing. "You're getting pretty good!"

She cursed and lunged at him, letting all her anger out in that one swing. It did her no good. He easily dodged her attacks, laughing and mocking her all the while.

It would only take one strike for him to end it and then it would be all over for both Michael and Ashe. He shook. There was nowhere to run or hide. The Queen's castle was filled with card soldiers. Ashe was his only hope.

Right now his only hope was bloodied, injured and in a fight she couldn't win.

"I warned you." He knocked Ashe to the floor with the blunt side of his sword, then pointed the sharp end at her throat. She looked up at him, holding the wounds in her side, an expression of anger on her face. "I can't spare you this time." He was still smiling, a gleam in his eye not unlike the one Ashe had as she killed the card soldiers.

Michael watched in horror. _Isn't that his daughter? How can he be so nonchalant?_

"Don't kill her, you idiot. We canceled our orders!" It was an entirely new voice from behind Ace. "Hm?" Ace turned, confused.

A line of people led by Vivaldi walked hurriedly towards them.

"We have decided not to kill the foreigner," Vivaldi said.

Michael wanted to cheer he was so happy.

"Under the condition that he visit us more often," she finished, shooting him a glare. "Look, I'd do anything so long as you don't kill me."

Michael held up his hands in a gesture of complete surrender.

From the line of people stepped White Joker.

"Why are you here?" Ashe said, her shoulders tensing.

"I've come to reclaim what is mine, of course," White said, his hand held out

to help her up. She looked away, a pained look on her face.

"Look at the commotion you've caused here. It'll be so much work for the Queen to replace all the soldiers you've killed..."

Silently she picked herself off the floor. "Do I really have to go back with you?"

"What kind of question is that?" he replied.

"Were you the one that convinced her to not kill Michael?"

To that, White simply smiled.

"Aren't you tired? Don't you want to go back?"

Ashe sighed.

Aww, look at you, sister, all covered in blood," Bryon said, coming over to her. "You look like a horror show."

She grinned weakly. "When do I not?"

"When you're not dripping in blood and scaring small children?" He gently placed his hand on his sister's arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, but her voice was bitter.

Michael had a sudden revelation: this was the only act of kindness he had seen directed towards Ashe yet. Most of what he typically saw was people giving her the cold shoulder or outright hostility.

Michael couldn't help but feel sorry for the wounded girl as she left. It was stupid, of course. This girl could easily tear him apart. Yet there was something so sad, so vulnerable about her. He couldn't help himself.

_I'm a sucker for a sad face_, he thought, staring at the red ceiling.

A slender hand rested on his shoulder, causing him to jump in shock. It was Lilly with an unusually serious expression on her face.

"I'm so glad to see you safe." Her voice cracked. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine now," he said absently.

"I just want you to know we're playing a new game, Michael. I'm going to win your heart.

"No you're not."

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"I'm pretty sure you're not."

"I'm pretty sure I am." Her voice became hard. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes!"

"Too bad."

"You're an evil woman, Lilly."

"And you're a weak, weak man. Therefore, you need me." She cocked her head to the side. "You need someone who knows Wonderland, who can teach you how to protect yourself. She poked his chest. "I am that person."

"Yes, ma'am." His voice was filled with sarcasm.


	11. Threats and Fun At the Amusement Park

The sun beat down hot and hard as the mafia princess and the foriegner, carrying light bags, entered through the Amusement Park gate. The air hummed with excitement. Faceless people crowded the colorful streets. Rides towered above them into the blue skyline.

Lilly's usually ornate clothes had been traded in for shorts and a tank-top, and her long hair was thrown into a loose bun. She fanned her flushed, sweating face.

"I don't know why daddy made me come here," she said, fanning her face harder.

"To get you out the house. You were being particularly cranky this morning and making it hard for him to work...or drink tea or whatever it is he does."

"How is sending me to a hot, awful place like this supposed to make me not cranky?"

"It's not. It just makes you my problem, not his." Michael sighed. "I didn't know you were even allowed to come here."

"The twins do. Why not me?"

"Wait, aren't you at war with the Amusement Park or something?"

"You would think. Personally, I think this war between the territories is being carried out all wrong. If I was in charge there would be no war."

"...peace would be nice, I suppose...

"Because I would destroy them all. I would burn everything to the ground until nothing but Hatter Mansion remained. And I'd have all the people killed and their clocks broken, of course. You can't allow the enemy to reincarnate, after all. And I'd have Elliot deal with that man in the Clocktower."

His eyes momentarily widened. "You're almost too cute to be so violent."

She blinked, her dark eyes reflecting the sun. "You think I'm cute?"

"In the same way I think a poodle's cute." He awkwardly ruffled her hair, his face turning a bright red. "You know those yippy little dogs that you just want to hug until you crush them? That's you."

She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "...such an idiot..." she mumbled.

"I meant it in the nicest way possible!"

"For someone so intelligent, you certainly are dumb." She pursed her lips, but then she smiled and patted him on the head. "But I forgive you."

"Uh...thanks."

They made their way to the dressing rooms, which were small but colorful tents, and changed into their bathing suits...or what constituted as a bathing suits for Michael and Lilly.

Michael wore shorts and a t-shirt. Meanwhile, Lilly stepped out in a very conservative black one-piece.

"Why not something less...you know. You could turn heads if you wanted to," Michael said, disappointed by her bathing suit. "Sure, you're short but good things come in small packages. Besides, you're really busty and-"

A sharp glare shut him up immediately.

"What? Do you have a problem with having a big chest?" he said.

"I have a problem with you staring and commenting on it."

"Why else would I come to the pool but to look at girls?"

"Michael!" Her voice rose. "You can be such a dog!"

"Dogs? Where?" They turned at the new voice to see a strange man dressed for the pool, his cat ears turned slightly back, his hair a deep shade of pink. He had a tail. Michael couldn't help but stare.

_What a freak show, _Michael thought.

"This man!" Lilly pointed at Michael. "This man is a dog!"

The man eyed Michael carefully. "He doesn't look like a dog..."

"I'm not a dog." He rolled his eyes. "I'm Michael. I'm a perfectly normal guy. Lilly just can' t deal with that." He stared at the man's swishing tail. What was normal by this world's standards?

"You're the foriegner who caused such a fuss at Vivaldi's ball, aren't you?" the man said, his voice rising in excitement. "Awesome! I'm Boris. I was disappointed when I found out that the new foriegner was a guy, but anyone who can cause that much trouble is okay in my book."

Boris held out his hand, a friendly smile on his face, and Michael grasped and shook it. _Am I really shaking hands with a cat?_

"Boris! Quit bothering the guests!" Another man appeared. He looked strange and eclectic with his mismatching but colorful outfit and glasses.

"I'm greeting them, old man," Boris said, frowning. "That's all."

"I'm sorry if this stray was messing with you. He-" The man's gaze immediatly locked on Lilly. "The Hatter's daughter? What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Lilly said. "I'm just here, you know. That's all. Your feud with my father does not concern me."

He gave her a long stare before shaking his head. "If your father ever does decide-"

"He's not stupid," she said. "He won't ever decide to come here unless he has a death wish, which sometimes I wonder about but that's neither here nor there. Either way, I'm not part of this."

He narrowed his eyes. "Just tell that lout that he'll get what's coming to him."

"Many, many people have said that," she said with a sigh. "All I know is that when it finally does come down to it he's pretty much screwed...and I'm not helping him."

"Well, as long as you don't turn out like that awful Hatter...You were always too cute a kid for that." He ruffled Lilly's hair, making her look disgruntled and unhappy, before he turned to Michael. "Welcome! This Game certainly does have a lot of foriegners. But that just makes things interesting! Glad you decided to stop by. I'll admit...you're not as cute as Alice, but I welcome everyone to my Amusement Park! Unless you're that bastard Blood Dupre."

"Um, hi." Michael waved, unsure.

"Shall I play a song for you? A welcoming song?" The man's face lit up.

"Maybe not right now, Gowland..." Lilly said.

"Nonsense! There's always time for music!" Gowland whipped out a violin from seemingly no where. Boris's and Lilly's faces contorted with fear as they tried to protest.

"Really! It's fine! There's no need to-"

"Old man, don't you even-"

The music started...or at least it had a vague resemblance to music. There was no harmony, no rhythm, no nothing. It was more of a sound that seemed to come from the bowels of hell itself.

Lilly and Boris ran away wailing towards the pool and jumped in, leaving Michael alone to stare in horror. Was this a joke?

Gowland smiled. "So...what did you think?"

What...did he think? What did Michael think? It was a sound that could only be compared to a million cats being systematically tortured and dumped off a cliff. But Michael knew this was not a man to anger.

"The melodic tones surely surpass me, sir," Michael said. "My ears cringe at the sheer beauty. My stomach revolts from the loveliness. Excuse me..." He queesily made his way over to the pool and sat on the side.

"That good?" Gowland said, satisfied. "Well, I'll leave you kids then. Have fun!" With that, he strutted away, whistling a cheery tune.

"What the hell was that?" Michael said.

Boris shuddered. "You'll learn how to avoid it eventually."

Michael hopped into the pool with a splash. The cold water was a relief on his hot skin. Boris had already swam to the other side.

"Hey, Lilly, why does he hate your father so much?" he said.

"Because daddy finds his name amusing. His name is actually Mary Gowland."

"Uh...yeah?" He blinked, not comprehending.

"As in Merry-go-round. Yes, it is a lame, wretched pun. Surely puns are the lowest form of humor. And yet daddy insisted on spreading his name around for the world to know...as if we needed more puns in this world. If you laugh at that horrible pun then you are a sad person."

Michael choked back the laughter and nodded. "You're right. It's not funny at all'"

"I know. People are so stupid around here."

"Good thing your sense of humor is so refined. You know, the little bit that you actually have. Honestly, Lilly, lighten up!" He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to laugh sometimes. It's healthy. Being a five-foot tall embodiment of rage is not healthy."

"I...guess..."

"Why are you in such a bad mood today, anyway? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

She tilted her chin high proudly. "It's something you men will simply never understand. None of you do. I am a woman in a household of men."

"Oh." He looked uncomfortable. "You're telling me I'm going to have to deal with this every month...?"

"I'm not that bad."

"...Of course not..." he said carefully. "You're a perfect, delicate flower." He laughed uneasily.

"Look who I found, Lilly!" It was Boris, swimming over to him. He was followed closely by Ashe and Bryon.

Ashe was wearing a bathing suit that was so small it was just barely decent, her hair wet and dripping around her face. Bryon just looked like his usual self, although his hair was a bit more tousled.

"Them." Lilly clenched her teeth. "Just who I never wanted to see."

"It's so nice to see you, mister kitty cat!" Ashe said, a smile on her face. She played with one of his ears. "They're so cute and soft! Just like you."

Boris closed one eye, enjoying being petted.

That was when she caught sight of Michael. She immediately swam over. "Oh, look, Bryon, they're both so shy and conservative! How cute! Come on, Michael, take off your shirt! It's a pool."

"No thanks."

"I'll drown you if you don't!" She laughed.

Bryon looked at Lilly, his smile unsettling. "How about you take off your-"

"Don't!" she snapped. "I know people who can kill you fifty different ways."

He looked bored. "You mean that rabbit? I'm not very scared of him."

"Elliot is not a rabbit," she said sharply. "Where are you getting that ridiculous notion? He's a wonderful individual who doesn't have rabbit-like qualities at all."

"Sounds like you're in love with him," said Ashe.

"He's like a father to me, you nitwit!"

"I'm sure," she said. "Are you sure you're not having a secret love affair, dearest Lilly? It would be pretty improper, but we can keep a secret."

"Let's not start a fight, sister..." Bryon put a hand on her shoulder.

Lilly's face was bright red from a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Besides, I doubt either he or Blood are interested in women," Bryon said.

"What. Did. You. Just. _Say!" _Lilly narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you think Blood is just a little homosexual? I mean, he and Elliot really are close...and the man has an obsession with roses and tea...There are red flags here, Lilly."

"I think you're homosexual, Bryon." She crossed her arms.

He actually contemplated this before grinning. "Just a little, maybe. I do love Michael, after all!"

Michael sputtered and looked horrified.

"Is that threatening to your masculinity, handsome?" Ashe said from behind Michael, her cool, thin hands resting on his shoulders.

"Bryon, I would be horrified if you were a woman. I would be horrified no matter what you are!" Michael said.

"You love me, my friend!" Bryon said with a laugh. "You're just repressed by society into not showing your feelings for me!"

Michael swam quickly to the other side of the pool. Lilly banged Bryon on the back of the head with a convenient pool float.

"I've already put a claim on him, Bryon!" she cried.

"Hey! We can share! There's no need to-"

The pool float smacked Bryon's before he could even finished the sentence.

"Lemme know if you guys start to fight!" Boris said, a gun in his hand. Michael didn't remember seeing a gun there a minute ago. Where the hell did he get it?

Then Michael noticed that Boris wasn't the only one with a gun. Ashe held one too.

"What sort of people bring guns to the pool?" Panic crept into Michael's voice.

"The fun kind of people!" Ashe said. She pointed the gun at him. "Scared, handsome?"

"You really shouldn't be doing this, sister..."

"Just having a bit of fun, brother dear!"

The next few moments were chaos. Michael only faintly heard Lilly screaming in anger and Bryon trying to talk Ashe down as Michael out of the pool and ran. He heard water splash behind him as Ashe got out, hot on his heels.

She chased him through the crowds of faceless people, water dripping from her body, leaving a trail.

He ran until he came to the end of the amusement park, where a high fence blocked his path.

_God, no_.

He turned, his knees weak. He fell to the ground, staring straight up at her approaching form.

"Bang, bang, handsome," she said, leveling the gun lazily at his head, her head slightly cocked to the side. "Beautiful women have started wars. Guns have brought down empires. So what do you think a beautiful woman with a gun is going to do to you-a skinny, over-educated fool?"

"Hopefully not kill me," he said. "It'd be a shame after you put so much effort into rescuing me and all..."

"Maybe I will kill you! Just to see what it's like."

He flinched back, his whole body revolting against the threat of death. The last thing he saw before she pulled the trigger was her smile and her cold, hard eyes.

Water splashed his face. He sputtered in shock. "Wha-?"

She laughed. "You're so cute when you're afraid for your life! But, yes, a water gun. What type of monster do you think I am?"

He honestly did not want to answer that question. "I don't know what the hell you are half the time!"

"That's okay," she said, smiling. "I don't really know who I am half the time either. So I just pretend I'm a whole bunch of people and hope for the best."

"Multiple Personality Disorder?"

Her gaze was far away. "I don't know. It's all just pretending in the end, anyway, isn't it? This whole world is just a prison and we're all prisoners. Every single one of us."

In the distance he could hear Lilly's high, worried voice and Bryon's lower though no-less worried one.

* * *

A/N: AsheXMichael or LillyXMichael...hmm...Well, any end with Ashe is bound to be unhappy considering what sort of plot twists I have in store for her (no, she doesn't die). The plot should start soon. This is just a breather chapter before things start going awry.


	12. Bloody Garden Parties

The nicer the outfit, the itchier and more uncomfortable it was. Michael thought of this as pulled at the collar of his baby blue suit.

As they walked down the fresh path of Vivaldi's territory lined with flowers, he could faintly smell roses and perfume. A very girly smell fit for a territory like this, he supposed.

"I feel like a walking, talking Easter egg," he said.

"Then be a walking, silent Easter egg," she responded. "The deal was that you would spend more time with Vivaldi. Well, here you are. I went through far too much trouble rescuing you."

"Funny. I seem to remember Ashe doing most-"

"Do not mention that skank's name, thank you. Anyone can bang a few heads around. I had to orchestrate the whole mess and get you out alive."

"I never properly thanked you for that, did I?"

"You may start now."

Michael laughed. "Oh, yes, your highness! Thank you for all you have done for me."

She patted him on the head. "That will do."

In the distance Michael caught sight of a tall figure dressed in a white suit, a hat cocked to the side of his head. As they came closer, it was clear from the man's lazy smile and messy hair that it was Bryon.

"Don't you have a twin around here somewhere?" Michael said.

Bryon shrugged. "Oh. She's not my twin. She's actually my little sister by a year or so."

"Sorry, I just assumed..."

"It happens. I think she's spending quality time with some faceless card soldiers right now, but I don't really know. That's just what she told me. She feels guilty for having to kill so many to save you, Michael."

"Huh. Who knew she was a decent person?" Michael said.

Lilly laughed cruelly, which caused Michael to jump and look over at her. "Is that the excuse she's using now?" she said. "We both know exactly what she's doing...I wasn't kidding when I said she was a skank...Do you honestly think you're the only boy she uses and abuses, Michael? Laughable."

"My sister's a perfectly innocent person by most standards. She can just be a little wild sometimes but that just makes her a fun."

"A fun person...is that what they call it these days..." Lilly's voice was snide.

Michael piped up. "I'm actually okay with that. It's the murder that bothers me."

Both Bryon and Lilly stared at him, Bryon looking amused and Lilly less so.

"Everyone murders," she said. "It's the law of the Game to kill and to die. But nobody ever said you had to ho up half of the card soldiers and half of the Amusement Park and half of daddy's estate and...oooh...I can't stand her. She made a pass at Elliot the other day. Despicable woman! As if he would consider her! And daddy! She made a pass at him! Why would she do that except to make me _angry_!"

"Um, did he accept?" Michael asked.

"Calm down, Lilly." Bryon waved his hands. "You have to learn how not to take the bait, or else Ashe is going to keep doing this to you until...well, ever. You don't want to be her infinite source of fun, do you?"

"What are the two of you doing here anyway?" she said in a way that clearly showed she wished they weren't there.

"Vivaldi invited Ashe and so I decided to tag along," he said, shrugging. "It's weird but she has an obsession with turning Ashe into some sort of respectable woman...Anyway, I like Vivaldi. She's a tough, smart, independent person. She's not bad company."

"That's an oddly decent thing of you to say." She shot him a distrustful look.

"Besides, she's kinda old, but I'd hit it!" Bryon announced.

Her face dropped. "She'd hit you too...with a hammer and a ten-foot pole." Lilly crossed her arms. "Men. Pfeh."

Bryon smiled. "Jealous?"

"You mistake anger for jealousy, idiot."

"I think you're as pretty as Vivaldi," he said. "If you weren't scowling all the time you might be the prettiest girl in the land. So what can I do to bring a smile to your face?"

She answered, her cheeks burning, "Do you honestly think I'd do anything for you?"

"But, my dear princess, it's more what I can do for you." The smile on his face made her heart leap. He had a way of saying things that made him seem so...sincere, as if he really meant every word he said.

"I-idiot!" Lilly stammered, blushing. She was never good with these sorts of situations.

Michael watched the proceedings in awe. "Are you seriously blushing? Dude, I've seen smoother drunk guys . And knowing you, Bryon, I wouldn't doubt if you're intoxicated right now."

"Sh-shut up!" she cried.

"Do not listen to him, Lilly." Vivaldi's voice rang out as she approached them, carrying her skirts. "He is a well known womanizer and enemy of women. Now come. The servants have set up the table for the tea party." She paused. "Where is your sister? We told her to be here."

Bryon shrugged. "She probably got distracted. I don't know honestly. She'll appear when she feels like it."

"Hmph. Then you may stay but do not cause trouble." She gave him a piercing glare.

Bryon held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm a lot less troublesome than Ashe!"

They followed Vivaldi through the garden of roses into a small clearing where a long table was set up with delicate dishes. She sat on the end and indicated for the others to follow.

Lilly took a seat next to Vivaldi and forced Michael to sit next to her.

"But-" he protested.

"Sit," Lilly commanded, her hand gripping his arm.

"Lilly, I'm not going to love you just because you force me to sit next to you."

She chose to ignore him completely. "Drink your tea ."

"But-"

"I said drink!"

"It's just like you two are already married." Bryon wore an amused smile. "Except Lilly's like the abusive, angry housewife who you work late into the evenings to avoid and Michael's the poor spineless guy who somehow got roped into it. True love!"

"Did we tell you to speak?" Vivaldi asked.

"My apologies, Your Highness." Bryon leaned back in his chair. "And apologies, too, to the lovely mafia princess if I somehow offended her."

Behind Michael the bushes began to rustle, putting him on his guard. Ace appeared, sticks and twigs in his hair and clothing.

"So, uh, hi," Michael said, not sure what else to say to a man who not too long ago had tried to kill him. He stared at the knight and his long, torn coat that flapped in the wind. Eeriest of all was his smile, a smile Michael recognized-Ashe's smile.

He sat down at the table, Vivaldi shooting him a disdainful glare.

"Dare we comment on how late you are?" she said. "Lilly, be a good young lady and tell this fool we are displeased."

"Why do I have to?" she began to say, but Vivaldi's acidic glare immediately made her obey."You're late and the Queen is unhappy."

"The Queen's always unhappy. She should smile more." Ace waved his hand, dismissing the matter entirely. Vivaldi made a sour face but said no more, deciding he was not worth ruining her party over.

"Now, Lilly, sit like a lady. What is your dreadful father teaching you, anyway?" she said, sipping her tea.

"He's not teaching me anything at all, of course," was Lilly's bitter response.

"Where's Peter?" Ace asked. "He has a job, doesn't he?"

"He has business," Vivaldi replied simply.

Another interruption occured as slow footsteps echoed. There coming down the path was Ashe, a loose, plain dress flowing as she walked. Dirt and blood covered her face, but she smiled when she came closer. The sight scared the hell out of Michael and made him strangely curious at the same time.

She wiped her brow and sat at the table beside her brother. Bryon took the whole thing nonchalantly, handing her a napkin to help clean herself up.

"Been having fun?" Bryon said.

"Oh yes." She grinned.

"Um, what have you been doing?" Michael asked.

"I've been doing bad, bad things."

"Apparantly." Michael eyed her suspiciously.

"Whatever you've been doing, Ashe, one day we're going to find out," Bryon said. "Then you're going to be in some trouble."

"It doesn't matter." She turned to the Queen. "I'm here, Vivaldi."

"You're getting blood all over the table," Vivaldi said. "Before coming to a party you should at least wash up."

She shrugged. "Didn't have time. I barely had time to steal this dress and put it on!"

"Steal?" Michael looked disgusted. "Your moral compass is a little off-north, isn't it?"

Ashe glared at Ace, noticing he was there for the first time. "You." she said.

Ace waved at her, ignoring the hateful look she sent. "Hello there!"

She turned away. "I'm just going to pretend you're not here and maybe you'll go away."

He laughed. "Suit yourself but I'm pretty sure it's not going to work." After a moment he looked at Michael. "So you've been hanging out with Ashe?" he said, his red eyes watching him curiously.

"Y-yeah..." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. There was an awkward silence. "Nice coat...and nice daughter. Thanks for having such a hot daughter, by the way! Ashe, you surely do us all a favor by your choice of wearing such little clothing. You made this my new favorite dimension!"

_Wait...did I just say that?_ Michael had the tendency to blurt things out when he was nervous, and Ace made him very nervous.

The awkward silence became something different, deadlier.

"Did you just tell the entire table my parentage?" Ashe said, her smile tight. It seemed as if before he even blinked she was behind him, knives fixed on his neck. "You know how I feel about that."

_Oh. My. God._ Michael's thoughts went in circles. The sensation of the cold steel on his neck was all he could think of.

"Isn't this like the hundredth time you've threatened my life?" he said.

"But maybe I mean it this time, handsome," she hissed.

"There will be no killing of the foriegner at this table unless we do it!" Vivaldi said. "Now sit down, girl, and be a lady."

Ace laughed. "Pretty interesting that you're willing to kill over that but don't worry! They already know. I told them."

"You told them," she repeated dumbly. "You told them that I had a bastard like you for a father."

"Let's have peace, love and happiness, guys!" Bryon said. "He's my father, too, but do I care? Yes. Yes, I do. It makes a fantastic sob story to tell the ladies."

Vivaldi's eye twitched. "That is an example of what you should never be, Michael. We detest men like that."

"I agree completely," Lilly said. "Thank goodness Michael is not anything like Bryon."

"You mean suave, handsome and confident?" said Bryon dryly.

"Wow. I'm feeling the love, bro." Michael frowned. "I thought people were supposed to love foriegners."

"Until the foriegner proves themselves to be a loser. That's the adendum to the rule!" Bryon said. "No offense. You are what you are. I still love you for it, but I'm a loser fetishist so I probably don't count."

"Do you even _listen_ to what you say?" Lilly gritted her teeth.

"Nope." He laughed.

Ashe stood up from her chair. "I'm done," she said. She slowly turned her back to them and began to walk aimlessly in a random direction.

"Oh, dear..." Bryon watched her leave. "I think we've upset her...and it's dangerous to upset sister dear."

What exactly was upsetting her anyway? Michael stood up with the intent of following her and finding out what exactly made this woman tick. She had a neurosis and Michael was going to find it.


	13. Understanding

Michael found her all alone sitting on the grass, her back against the strong stone of the castle and her eyes downcast. The flowers surrounded her but at the time of her sadness their beauty seemed a mockery.

Vivaldi painted every rose in her garden so they all were the same, all a perfect shade of lovely red. If any dared to be different they were simply painted over and made like all the rest. If only it were so easy for her to change herself to fit in. If only she could somehow paint herself whatever damn color she needed to be one of those Roleholders...

She stared across the expanse of grass at Michael. He took unsure steps towards her, carrying a plate of food.

"You left before you could eat so I, uh, brought you some." He set it down beside her.

"You are very kind to me," she said numbly, a hint of suspicion tainting her voice.

He sighed roughly. "Geez. I'm being nice. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

"Funny you should mention my mother!" she said, her smile forced.

"Let me guess? Knowing you something horrible and tragic happened to her. Wait...hold on. I'm being an ass." He rubbed the back of his head. "I...actually just came here to see if you were okay. I'm also wondering if you'll care to explain why you were covered in blood and wearing a stolen dress."

She leaned back against the wall and put on her smile. "I'm fine, handsome. Thank you for asking."

"Look, I don't understand you, Ashe. Seriously, but I want to understand. Maybe that's your problem. Nobody ever tries to care. So I care."

She eyed him side-long. "Words are cheap. I prefer actions."

"Uh...I brought you food. That's an action. Aren't chicks supposed to fall all over themselves for that? It's primal, like a caveman bringing cavewoman a cavetiger home."

She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "Do I look like a girl who eats a lot?" she asked as she fiddled with her hair.

He was momentarily distracted. "I mean, you look like you eat just enough and get plenty of exercise. I didn't mean to imply that your body was not rockin'! I just...I'm sorry. You just shut down my higher brain functions. I am now leaving 'being an ass' mode."

She laughed. "I like you Michael. You're honest."

"To a fault," he added dryly. "So, what's going on in your head? How can you kill so...easily?"

"Everyone kills easily here."

"I noticed." He shuddered. "But you're extra good at it."

She watched him strangely, her blue and red eyes reflecting the sun's light differently, making her red eye seem to almost be burning. But such a notion was silly, Michael thought.

"This world...is purgatory," she said. "A place of sinners. It's an endless loop. Why else do you think we can never leave, why we are so easily shuffled into the next body after one is killed? There is no afterlife, no god. There is only this-this place." The sun made long shadows on her face, making her seem weary and tired. "Mother...she called this a wonderland. She was wrong."

Michael honestly had nothing to say. What could he say? For all he knew this wonderland really could be purgatory by another name.

"I don't mean it literally is," she said hastily. "But figuratively, is this place all that different from it? And so my philosophy is this. I can give people heaven or hell. It doesn't matter. Sometimes I give them what they want-all anyone wants from me-and they get a taste of heaven, but I end up killing them in the end anyway. And hell...sometimes I choose that. It's a coin toss in my head really. I would never go after a Roleholder. It would cause too many problems, but the faceless are free game."

"That's...cruel."

"The world's cruel."

"Biting a dog after it bit you is not going to solve the problem! Okay, bad analogy, but honestly."

"It's just how I work, okay? This is how it is..."

For a moment he was silent, thinking, but then, "This persona...your entire personality...it's almost like you created it with the sole purpose of keeping yourself from crying at night."

"That's not true," she snapped, a pained look on her face. "If it was, I still wouldn't cry at night like I do..."

He stared at her, feeling an unfathomable gulf between them. Then in but a moment he bridged the gap and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Her whole body froze. Bent at the knees, he stayed on the ground with her in silence.

She pushed him away. "What was that?"

"I-I really don't know. I just thought you needed a hug..." It sounded so stupid when he said it out loud.

To his utter surprise, a small smile cracked on her face. "I'm just not used to them."

He bit his lip, his whole face red. "Yeah...look, it was kind of stupid but I just-I'm sorry. I need to keep my hands to myself."

She sighed, a smile still on her face as she patted him playfully on the head. It was a gentler smile than her usual.

"You know, you're not like Alice. I think you're a better foriegner than Alice ever was."

"Someone should give me an award."

"No, I mean it. You're a good person. I-I wish I could be a good person for you. But I feel so nasty, so dirty sometimes. I'm not sure I can. Black is always telling me I won't anyway." She looked angry.

"Ashe...you scare me sometimes, but I know you're not nasty and you're not dirty. You're just a little lost."

"I disgust myself."

"Funny. I don't see anything disgusting here."

"My father just laughs at me and says I was meant to be lost like him."

"But you'll find your way. You will." His voice became surprisingly strong. "How about your mother? Did she think differently? Where is your mother, anyway?"

"Mother...is gone." She looked to the side.

"A vague answer."

"I need to show you something." she said. "As a foriegner you should know. It will clear many, many things up. I will show you what happened to my mother...and what may happen to you."

"Wait...your mother was a foriegner?"

She simply smiled and took him by the hand, inviting him to follow her.

Perhaps he was making a mistake, but he had to know. He accepted her, willing to follow her anywhere.

* * *

A/N: Here's a summary for those who don't feel like reading the chapter: Ashe is an emo crazy assassin and Michael makes moves on her by going "Seriously, baby, I'm a phsyciatrist. Let me diagnose you." Ashe goes for it and they have fifty babies. The End.

This was a short chapter meant to be a character moment for both Ashe and Michael. Next chapter will be beefier with lots of plot and revelations.

I'm on a super-inspired update rampage. Watch out.


	14. Dark Saviors

A/N: Background info for those who haven't played Joker no Kuni no Alice. In the game Ace really does work for the Jokers as The Executioner and the Jokers are trying to lock Alice up for being a foreigner. In the game the Jokers run both the Prison and the Circus. The Prison doesn't seem to exist in any one place but literally just appears out of nowhere. At one point Alice does get captured and the way the bishies save her is by literally destroying the prison itself. Anyway, this story is heavily tied into that game, so if any of this is confusing just ask and I can explain.

* * *

Michael had no idea what to think. Everything seemed cheery enough. Ashe held his hand and led him through through the Circus, the crowds of faceless and various colorful tents. But then it changed, morphed before his very eyes. Suddenly they were walking through a very different place.

She was leading him through a place that was not just dark. It was so dark, so gray that he could not imagine the sunlight ever touching the place. It was a prison and the only light touching its bare walls came from artificial fixtures that swung from the ceiling. Beyond the bars of the cells he could see nothing but shadows.

"White and Black gave me access to this place..." her voice echoed in the coldness. "So that I could lock you up."

He tightened his grip on her hand. "Lock...me up?"

She looked back at him, and he could only see her red eye, gleaming. "They said I could have everything I wanted if only I gave you up. They said I could have a role, a place, a purpose. I could have a clock for my empty chest...finally."

He stopped walking and froze, letting go of her hand. "...Ashe..."

She stood beside him, staring bleakly into a cell. "Mother was here. No longer."

"Your mother...was she a prisoner?"

"Oh yes. She was." She gripped the bars. "A long time ago. I remember her. Her sad eyes...her silhouette in the shadows...I remember every single detail."

"Was she a criminal?"

"She was a foreigner and she didn't belong. Not belonging, not fitting in...that's all it takes for this world to reject you, to have no place for you. The Jokers wanted her. They wanted her locked up because she was lost and out of her world, because she was an anomaly. Father worked for them."

"Ace? The Knight of Hearts?"

"Ace. The Executioner. They promised him such sweet things. Freedom from his role, from his duties if only he gave her up." Her voice became bitter. "And so he did and she was locked up. But that wasn't enough, because then Bryon and I came along and the Jokers saw potential in us. We were outside of the Game. We could bend the rules in the ways the faceless and Roleholders simply can't.

Bryon managed to worm his way out of a lot of this simply because Bryon is very good at pretending to be an idiot. Oh, but he's not. He's the smartest of us all. But the Jokers thought he was useless and allowed him to spend more time with mother before she died while I-I don't know what I am. They said I was a wild dog they simply let loose in whatever direction they needed me to be in. I don't think father ever cared much at all about us. All I know is he stopped being the Executioner and is still looking for ways to free himself. The damn bastard."

She pressed her forehead against the bars, tears running down her cheeks. "I am not my father, Michael. I am not going to sell you out so I can get a clock. I want to be a good person...even though I really want to fit in, too...I don't know. Should I lock you up?"

He stood there, frozen, knowing that his fate rested with this woman he barely knew. She was unstable and insane...but there was a good person in her crying out. The question was how deeply her goodness was buried.

"It didn't help father..." she continued. "But it's my only chance." Her voice was fast and rambling. She turned her tear-stained face to him. "My only chance to be who I want to be. They'll never turn their noses up at me again. Not Lilly, not Julius, not Blood, not father...they will accept me. I will _make_ them accept me."

"Ashe..." He took a step back, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Something dark and dangerous was awakening in her, something he couldn't hope to fight. The look in her eye was like that of a wild dog, caged by its master, starving and being taunted with a piece of meat.

She scared him. He was stupid, stupid, stupid to trust her. Everyone in Wonderland knew she was dangerous. There was a reason they disliked her.

He was drawn to this sad and broken girl, but what he got in the end was a rabid and hungry dog.

"You don't want to lock me up..." he said faintly.

"You are nothing to me but a strange curiosity. That is all. Exchanging you for what I want...what I need. I warned you I was dangerous. Why didn't you listen, foolish boy?"

Clapping. The sound echoed in the room.

Ashe didn't even turn to know who it was, but her expression darkened even further.

Both Jokers, White and Black, appeared behind Ashe. White wore a gentle smile as he clapped for what he thought was an impressive performance on Ashe's part. Black just eyed Michael.

Michael sucked in air, his heart seeming to miss a beat. Ashe tackled him to the ground, a knife to his throat. He reflected that this would probably be the final time she would ever threaten him. He should fight more, but what could he do? The woman had a knife to his throat. He wasn't an action hero. He was a skinny intellectual.

The cold metal on his neck made one thing clear: this wasn't play anymore. He was a foreigner and this was the fate of all who were lost.

He remembered Lilly's words:

_"The way of Wonderland is to kill and be killed."_

And Ashe's words.

_"This place is purgatory. A place of sinners."_

It all echoed in his mind, clear as a bell in morning.

He closed his eyes, clenched his hands into fists and hoped for the best. I'm so screwed.

"You want to be a good person." He stared up at her. "You're not bad. You want to be good. Just-"

"Good people have hearts," she hissed, her hand shaking.

"Go ahead and do it, b****." Black's whip cracked impatiently. "Or are you too pathetic to even do this?"

"If you don't do it, Ashe. We'll do it for you anyway," White said smoothly. "The only difference is you won't get that heart you so desperately want. Wouldn't that be a shame...?"

"It's not worth it!" Michael cried. "Ashe, don't. Please. I don't want to die."

Black leaned over him. "Idiot. You're not going to die. We're imprisoning you like we do all the rest of your kind...and anyone else who breaks the rules of the Game."

"I'm sorry, Michael. I do want to be a good person but..."

White laid a hand on her shoulder, bending down so that he was level with her. "But you were never meant to be a good person. You're just like your father, and you'll follow your father's path. History repeats itself, the child takes up the father's mantle and all that...Nothing new under the sun. You're like a mad dog, Ashe. Don't fool yourself." There was not a hint of kindness in his voice. "You are what you are."

Her expression looked pained. "Yes...of course, I am. I-"

"Quit using her, you bastards!" Michael yelled. "Damn it, you are a person! You are an honest to god person. I don't care if you don't have a heart or clock or whatever. You are a person! I care, Ashe. I care."

She stared at his face blankly from across the knife point, unsure what to do. She tossed aside the knife and placed her ear to his chest, listening to the quick beat.

"I want your heart, Michael," she said. "I don't want a clock. I want this."

Her words did not make him feel any more comfortable. He almost wished she'd put the knife back to his throat.

A crash erupted and cracked the air. From his position Michael could see nothing, but he heard screaming...

Lilly's screaming! He'd recognize that high-pitched wail comparable to that of a PMS-ing banshee anywhere.

Michael managed to get his head up to get one look at Lilly. The small woman's face was contorted, her teeth gritted. She pointed furiously at whoever she was addressing. "Skank, get away from Michael. Bastard one and two, go die! And, Michael, you idiot! I knew things would go badly if you went with her but does anyone listen to me?" She drew a fan with a Lilly design from her pretty dress. "Of course not! Even though I am correct five-hundred percent of the time."

The delicate fan morphed into something less delicate in her hands. A shotgun. She held the stock against her shoulder and proceeded to move the point between White and Black Joker.

"Give him back before I blow your brains out, thanks," she said. "And, please, Ashe, have the decency to move."

"Another b****," Black grumbled. "You've got a lot of those, don't you?" He looked at Michael with disdain.

"What did you call me?" She cried as she loaded the shotgun. "Screw it. You're dead."

Ashe moved off of Michael, her knives ready in her hands as she crouched down.

"There's no need for this, Hatter's daughter," White said. "Simply turn back and we won't have to start trouble with your father."

"I am trouble." She aimed, fired and a loud noise knocked Michael's ears. He closed his eyes. When he opened them he expected someone to be dead but, no, everyone looked shocked but unharmed. "Damn." She reloaded and glared at the new arrival.

Bryon's hand was on the muzzle of the gun, a bullet mark in the floor and the bullet itself harmlessly settled a few inches away. He smiled down at her and tipped his hat. "I'm sorry, princess, but you were aiming at my sister and I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

She frowned deeply. "She's on their side. What else should I do."

"Tsk. Tsk." Bryon stepped out in front of her. "Can't we be friends?" He went over to his sister. "Are you okay?"

Ashe glared at him.

"Huh. I guess you are," he said.

White Joker stood. "Are you on our side, Bryon?"

He pretended to consider, making a show of biting his lip and rubbing his chin, before he grinned. "I don't play on the losing side, White. And, frankly, that woman over there is going to kick ass and chew bubble gum. Look at her! She's like a PMS-ing banshee Queen! She barely needs the shotgun except for show." He shrugged and leaned against the stone wall, crossing his arms. "I'm just here to watch."

"PMS-ing banshee Queen...?" She cried indignantly. "You are on the hitlist, Bryon!"

He laughed.

Michael, meanwhile, tried to crawl as far away from the fray of battle as possible. He could feel the tension rising in the air. The banter between everyone was getting colder and crueler by the minute.

"Come on, B****. We're ready."

White looked side-long at Ashe in askance. "Ready, Ashe?"

She put her knives away, drew her twin guns and quickly shot him in the head before whirling around towards Lilly's direction. She knew she would have never been able to pull such a thing off if he was expecting it, but Ashe was an opportunist. And she was not her father. She would save Michael.

She felt a stinging pain slap her side. A whip slashed through the air, smacking her flesh, causing a gaping wound. She gasped and nearly fell over, but stayed upright. The whip fell on her again, cutting off her concentration, her vision blurring. She began to feel sick.

The gun sound roared through the air, but it wasn't directed at any one person. Lilly shot at the surrounding area, breaking the Prison itself, shattering it. Michael didn't know you could destroy a place itself, but Michael had only just arrived in Wonderland.

As pieces of the prison fell around them into an infinite void of darkness, Michael felt thin arms wrap around him.

Ashe?

But the dark hair and small body indicated that it was Lilly. He closed his eyes and held onto her, falling further down into what felt like infinity.

It stopped. He opened his eyes to the light of day. The circus in all its colors and merriment surrounded him.

Lilly fanned herself with what had formally been a shotgun, her brow hot and sweaty. "Too much adventure before tea time. Or at least that's what daddy would say."

"Lilly," he said, looking at her very seriously. "Thank you for coming after me."

She sighed. "Oh Michael, Michael, Michael. It's nothing. I love you, after all. And, yes, I know nothing is probably going to come of these feelings. Doesn't stop me from caring." She smiled, patting him on the back. "Now let's get you to the Hatter mansion, hm? You look like you could use a nice cup of coffee, a bath and a good sleep."

"God...I never knew. Did you know half this stuff about Ashe? And I can't believe White Joker is dead!"

"White is not dead. Ashe has tried killing him before. He'll come back. And, no, I don't know anything about Ashe," she said stiffly. "No one does. People suspect a lot of things about Ashe. For one, daddy suspects that she's Alice's daughter but no one really knows because Alice left so suddenly..."

"Alice didn't leave, Lilly."

"What?"

"Alice was imprisoned."

"Oh my God." She held her hand over her mouth. "If the other Roleholders knew...!"

"I might be next," he said. "I mean, I will be if I don't do something about it."

"You have an ally in my, if you're wondering."

"A shotgun-wielding Mafia Princess? I feel safer already. Why didn't you tell me you had a weapon earlier?"

"I try not to use it often. I have such anger problems that I would be using it all the time if I could and that's simply not very productive." She grinned. "Now come on." She fussed over him, straightening his clothing. "You're a mess. Let's go home."

Michael wondered briefly what was home for him.

He knew one thing for certain. Wonderland was not it.

* * *

A/N: This chapter's depressing, yes, but the story is called Darker Wonderland and the summary does say that Wonderland has a dark future. I'm not exactly misadvertising or anything. Anyway, I promise at least a bittersweet ending for everyone.

And why a shotgun for Lilly? Because they're loud, powerful and not known for subtlety, which suits her personality. She doesn't use it much but when she does it's a cause for trouble.

Also, I know I update fast and a lot, which can lead to fatigue for my regular reviewers so I would like to thank everyone who regularly reviews this story. You guys are my inspiration and your feedback definitely keeps me going on with this. I honestly just love writing this. I probably won't update again for a while. My updating rampage is over. Exams are coming up. That's why this chapter was extra long.


	15. Under New Leadership

After the chaos of the Prison, Ashe and Bryon found themselves back at the Circus. It was strange. After all that had happened so little felt like it had actually changed.

"Nice job not helping back there," Ashe said, holstering her guns.

He waved her off. "Well, what did you want me to do, exactly? Play sweet, sweet music to calm the situation?"

"Better than just watching."

He laughed. "But I love watching! See what I did there? I just made that sound dirty." Her glare made him veer off the subject. "All right, frankly, Ashe, I'm not sure how involved I want to get in all this yet. Michael is okay, I suppose, as far as skinny, somewhat whiny foreigners go, but is he worth risking everything for? Eh, no. Not really. You're...infatuation with him is interesting, though." He watched her, waiting for an answer.

She turned away. "I'm toying with him."

"Of course you are." He patted her on the head patronizingly. "But, really, aren't you missing a crucial step in this? Usually when you toy with boys you kill them...or in Michael's case you had a perfectly good opportunity to imprison him. Why is Michael an exception, I wonder?"

"If you care so much why don't you imprison him? Don't you want a clock, too?"

"Nope. I'm happy being outside the rules of this silly Game. And even if I was to get a clock...I have other ways." He smiled. "There's very little I can't get."

"What do you have planned?"

"Well, anyway, enough of that boring business! The Jokers are going to be pissed at both of us. Especially Black. And White's not going to appreciate the new hole you put in his head...but, you know, it's not like you haven't done this before. He really should get insurance for this by now."

"The bastard always comes back by the next cycle."

"Yes...but you've really only bought yourself time, dear sister, rather than solved the problem."

"All I need is time to sort some things out." She began to walk in the opposite direction, her determined gaze straight ahead.

"Oh, and Ashe?" he said to her retreating back.

She stopped and turned her head slightly. "What?"

"Working as an assassin for Dupre isn't going to free you. Neither is this...other business you're involved in."

At this she whirled around. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know where you were when you were late to Vivaldi's little party and arrived all bloody for the occasion. I hope you play your cards carefully, for your own sake. That's where you're going right now isn't it?" He looked concerned. "You pretend to work for Dupre, but I know what you're doing the other half the time. Working for Dupre is an interesting cover, but a cover all the same."

"Stay out of this."

"How can I? My little sister is working for extremist faceless organizations bent on taking down the very Game itself." He laughed bitterly. "It's foolish and bound to fail. The fact you've involved yourself with a sinking ship concerns me."

She put on a smile and said flippantly, "But they love me there. They'd be so sad if I just stopped coming. They might think I don't like them."

"Well, sure, but if you think everyone hates you now...wait until they figure this out."

"This'll work. Trust me."

As she left, he shook his head and sighed. His sister was a pile of contradictions. On one hand she hated the Game and wanted to tear down the establishment...on the other hand she just wanted to be accepted by everyone and part of the very Game she was trying to destroy. Not even she knew what she wanted. She was really just jumping in all sort of different directions and hoping she landed somewhere.

Ashe was the most overcomplicated individual one could ever hope to meet.

In contrast Bryon knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. He whistled as he left the Circus, smiling and waving at the faceless who greeted him.

* * *

"Michael, please quit being an idiot and wipe your face."

"Chew with your mouth closed! What sort of uncivilized, barbaric land were you raised in?"

"Stay away from that nasty Circus girl! Do you want to catch a disease?"

Ever since Lilly had decided that romantic love between she and Michael was probably not going to happen short of gunpoint (which she did briefly consider), she had begun channeling her love for him into simply being his friend.

Unfortunately for him her idea of a friend was closer to acting like a second mother.

Sitting across from her at the table in the garden of the Hatter mansion for a private tea party only highlighted the problem. She picked at him the whole time about his manners, his attitude and anything else she could think of.

Finally, unable to take any more, he said, "You'd make a great mother, Lilly."

She seemed surprised and flattered. "Really?"

"Oh yes. If you wanted your children to grow up hating you. Could you lay off? I know what you're trying to do and all...and I appreciate it, but I don't need you mothering me."

"I'm trying to be nice."

"That's not how you be nice! Have you never had a friend in your life?"

The question struck her. "Well...no." She blinked. "Not really."

"Okay, well..." He felt like an ass. Why did it come so naturally to him? He sighed.

"I was friends with Ashe when we were little...then I realized what she was. But, otherwise, no, I have no friends. This is the only way I know to be."

"I do appreciate you trying, but this isn't how it's done."

"How is it done? I'm trying to care for you."

"No, no. I'm not a kid. You don't need to do that. Care about me, not for me. There's a subtle difference."

"But you need so much caring for! I can't help it."

"No, I don't. I mean, listen...you care for me just a little too much."

She stared at him from across the table. Finally, with a shrug, she nodded. "Okay. I'll try and step back."

"Thank you."

"But know that I'm correct almost all time."

"Just let me make my own mistakes."

Looking into the distance, she replied, "I will try, but understand that there are some mistakes I just can't let you commit. At least, not without saying something. I care about you too much."

"All right. Thank you, Lilly."

He picked up the empty dishes and carried them with him as he left the table.

The fun was over. With a feeling of dread she leaned over and pulled a pile of papers out of her bag. It was the Hatter budget sheet listing all the expenditures of the mansion. At least she was outside where a pleasant breeze could keep her cool as she worked.

It was harder work than she expected. For some reason the numbers weren't coming out as they should no matter how many times she tallied them. Stressed, she tapped her pen on the table.

"Useless...stupid, stupid numbers..." she mumbled. She cursed whoever invented them.

"Seems like you have a stray decimal there, Princess."

She jumped at the voice.

"Do not sneak up on me like that!"

He stared at the paper, leaning over her shoulder. "See. Your mistake is right there." He pointed. "It's an easy mistake to make when you're tired and easy to look over because it seems so small."

"What do you know about math, Bryon?" she said irritably.

When she actually looked, however, she saw he was right. It was only the matter of a small decimal that was screwing everything up.

"I may not know math, but apparently I know decimals better than you." He grinned. "You know numbers and math...I know decimals...together we could fight crime."

She gave him a weird look. "Oh my god. Take something serious for once in your life."

He laughed. "And you need to lighten up. It's just a math error, not the end of the world. Anyway, since I'm so charitable, Princess, how about I give you a hand with this?"

He sat beside her, taking one of the budget sheets and eyeing it for a good thirty seconds. Then he began to work. His hand flew over the page.

How could he be working so quickly? Surely his work must be subpar and messy if he was going so fast! She examined the paper.

It was flawless as far as she could tell.

With a flourish of his pen, he finished. "Next sheet, please!"

"How did you do that so quickly?"

He shrugged. "It's one of the ways I pass the time. There's not as much to do at a Circus as you think..."

She plopped a large pile of papers in front of him. "Fine. Then repeat it fifty times. We need to get this done by tomorrow's next cycle."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

* * *

Michael wasn't expecting to see Bryon around the mansion. But sure enough he saw Bryon in the halls, wandering about.

"Looking for something?" Michael said, slowing his step to meet Bryon's.

"Nope. Just looking around. I like watching."

"You mean that to sound dirty?"

"Of course!"

Michael breathed in. "God, this dimension is weird. I'll never get used to how time flows around here."

"Hm. That's right. You think of this place like a different dimension."

"Isn't it? And if not, what is it?"

"No one really knows. It could be a dream...or maybe your reality is merely a dream to us. Mother was never quite sure this was all real, though. She always feared that all of this was merely a dream. I think that's why she put distance between us and her. Imprisonment only made her become even more convinced that she would eventually wake up and it would all be over. Poor mother... Ashe never saw saw it like I did, of course. I was the one who was close to mother. She had no one."

"Are you okay?" He felt like he was saying that a lot lately.

He shrugged. "The past is past and all that. Yes, I was there for mother's downfall. I saw prison kill her spirit until there wasn't anything else to kill. But I'm a perfectly fine individual now."

"Sure you're not practicing denial there?"

He laughed. "I'm not sure of much of anything, Michael. I just live each day as it comes as well as I can. That's what I like to do. Laugh and enjoy the life I have. As far as I know I'm only going to get one unlike all those other poor saps around here who are endlessly reincarnated."

Stopping at the door to his bedroom, he gave Bryon a hearty pat on the back. "Good night."

"Why does this have to be good night? Why don't I join you!" Bryon laughed, outstretching he arms.

"Gah!" Michael practically jumped into his room and slammed the door.

* * *

Michael was sure he went to bed alone.

He woke up with a warm figure snuggled against his side, their arms wrapped around his neck. At first he was worried it was Bryon. This would be the sort of thing that weirdo would do. Gradually he realized it was a girl, but he couldn't make out her face in the darkness.

How he got from alone to this, he had no clue. It had nothing to do with anything on his part. Typically women gave his bed a wide berth no matter how smooth he thought he was.

"Can I help you?" he said.

The girl stirred. "Sorry to bother you, handsome."

Ashe?

Had he been drunk last night? No, he hadn't. Sure, Elliot tried to get him drunk, but he had refused. Michael knew he held alcohol like a baby.

Then perhaps he had somehow talked her into bed? His mind laughed at him. Of course he hadn't! He had all the charm of a cactus. How could he talk her into going anywhere with him?

Didn't she kill men she went to bed with like some crazy black widow? Did that mean she would kill him?

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked uneasily.

"Of course not."

It was a dream. When he accepted this, he sighed and settled down in the covers.

He waited for the dream to get interesting because, hey, it was a dream with Ashe in it. But it didn't. She lied stiffly at his side, her breathing soft and steady.

Sighing, he suddenly realized this was real. "What are you doing here? Isn't it a little creeper to sneak into people's beds?"

"I needed a bed-warmer," she said lightly. "And, no, I'm not here for anything else...because then I'd have to kill you."

"...way to kill the mood..."

"Just shut up so I can sleep."

"Why are you in my bed!"

"Because I'm cold."

"So you came all the way from the Circus in order to sneak into my bed because you're cold? Yeah, right."

"I'm not here to do anything else," she said defensively. She rolled onto her side facing away from him.

_Great. She's angry at me, _he thought. "Look, I didn't think you were...okay, maybe a little. But, honestly, is something wrong? You can tell me. You probably should, as you are the one who snuck in here..."

She latched onto him, her hands gripping his shirt, burying her face in his arm. "Michael, I'm so cold and sad and pitiful..."

"Okay...that's it? Well, then-"

Laughter echoed in the otherwise silent room. "Why do you make yourself so easy to manipulate! I'm not sad and pitiful! I don't need you. I just pretend I do."

"Fine. You don't need me. That doesn't change the fact that you snuck into my bed. Quit playing mind-games. I can sense them a mile away."

"Just leave me alone. Please. I haven't slept in days..."

Silently Michael stared at the ceiling, thinking. "It's because White Joker is coming back soon, isn't it?"

She didn't answer.

"And...you had to go back to Black Joker after all you had done? That couldn't have been pleasant. Or are you still avoiding him?"

She gripped his arm hard enough to cause pain. "Just give me this one place. I came here because I needed somewhere to feel safe."

"With me?"

"You're the only place I feel safe."

The impact of her words hit him.

"Okay," he said. "I'll try to be your place...although you're the one rescuing me half the time."

"There's more than one kind of safe. You can't save some people by kicking in the door and knocking around heads. Even _I _know that. Anyway, thank you and good night."

Pulling her hair back, she kissed him lightly on his forehead before settling down to sleep.

He had no idea what to think. Perhaps this was one of those times when one simply didn't need to think. Closing his eyes he fell into a deep, comfortable stupor.

Someone poked his shoulder. He rolled over, swatted their hand away and mumbled, "...Ashe...mmm...quit it..."

"What do you mean _Ashe_? Do I bring the stench of skank with me wherever I go? Do I look like her!"

"Buh-" He sat straight up and glanced around blearily. He was all alone in the bed. _Was she just a dream? _"Where'd she go?" he murmured.

"Was she here!"

He jerked his gaze over to the side of the bed to see Lilly standing there unhappily with her hands on her hips.

"In a totally non-sexual-" he tried to explain.

"You idiot!" she cried.

"Please don't be jealous."

"Jealous! I'm not-ugh." She sighed, surprisingly managing to calm herself down. "This has nothing to do with my feelings. I'm just worried about you. She's...irratic, chaotic and dangerous."

"Not always. That's the thing. There are times too when she's just sad and broken..."

"So what! The other times she has a knife to your throat. And how do you know she's not manipulating you?"

"It's simple. She needs me."

"You're going to get yourself hurt! Look, you could fall for a tree-stump for all I care...anyone but Ashe."

Lilly went towards the door, intent on leaving. Before she did, however, she paused. "By the way. She's been here before at night...to see other people. You're not special. She just has a way of making every man in Wonderland think they are."

The door clicking closed as she left was the only noise in the quiet room. He stared at the wall, thinking on what Lilly had said.

Very slowly he found himself becoming wrapped up in the people of Wonderland and their problems. Did he want it? Certainly not.

The more time he spent here the more he began to hate it. He just wanted to go home where girls didn't want him and nothing was complicated.

_Damn right Alice was a better foreigner_, he thought. _She didn't have to deal with _women. He partly considered himself a martyr for being able to handle all of these girls for so long. Well, all two of the girls, but to him that seemed like a lot.

* * *

Lilly was a force to not only be reckoned with but also to be avoided at all costs. She charged into Blood's office, shaking the bookcases that lined the wall as she slammed the door and held up a paper containing the Hatter budget for the month.

From where he sat at his desk Blood looked up annoyed.

"Your spending is outrageous!" She began. "Look at this? Do our rose expenditures really need to be this high? No. Do the twins need to be paid their salary? No. They've done nothing to earn it. Why they are on our payroll I will never, ever understand. Also, what is this about all the gifts you've been buying these tarts that find their way into the mansion? This is not acceptable. It's called consolidation and efficiency. Things must run like a well-oiled machine. This place runs like a rusty, old engine with tarts stuck in it."

"Are you done?" There was an edge to his normally smooth voice. Usually he tuned out what she said (What else could he do?) but right then she was beginning to annoy him.

"No. Recently a security risk has come to my attention. The security risk of Ashe being able to somehow sneak into the mansion whenever she wants. This needs to stop. I recommend she be shot on sight."

"Don't waste my time," he said. "Get out of my office. The door is right there."

"This is important-"

"The door, Lilly." He pointed. "Get out."

"I know what I'm talking about."

"Nobody will tell me what to do, most especially you. Now go do your job. That's what you're here for."

"You talk about me as if I'm just another employee," she spat. "As much as you pretend I'm not, I am your daughter. I feel responsible for the mansion even if you don't. I would be a much superior mafia leader, to be honest. I would have this place running so well...and there would be no tarty girls batting their ugly little eyelashes around. Everyone would be dressed modestly and there would be the proper amount of fighting and explosions for a mafia."

At first, he looked like he was about to get up from the chair and slap her. Then his expression became devious. "Do you? Then how about you try being the mafia leader, Lilly? For a week, perhaps?"

"What?"

He stood, smiling. "Good luck, Lilly. Elliot can tell you everything you need to know...but, of course, I'm sure you already know everything there is to know, correct?"

"You can't honestly mean-"

"I mean what I say. Good luck." He brushed past her on his way out the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To take a nap."

"...Daddy, you can't honestly be leaving me to do all this for myself while you spend the whole time napping?"

"Yes. Yes I can."

She stood shocked and dumbfounded.

A whole week?

Her head was spinning. How was she supposed to do this?

Then, with a heavy sigh, she rolled her sleeves up. "I can do this," she whispered. "And quite a few changes are going to be made."

* * *

A/N: Blood's a difficult character to handle. His game and manga counterparts are different. In the game he tends to be slightly softer than he is in the manga, so I think the Blood in this story leans more towards the game. Lilly wouldn't still be alive if manga Blood had to deal with her. Some people only know manga Blood and don't realize that game Blood isn't THAT much of an asshole.

And in the game Blood really is a lazy bastard who spends a lot of his time napping and making Elliot do most of the paperwork.

Also, OMG, so many plotlines, so many character motivations...and it feels like certain characters (Bryon and Ashe) have motivations for their motivations for their motivations. I actually had to make a flow-chart to keep track. Thankfully, Lilly and Michael are straight-forward to a fault. Also, MichaelXAshe is so obviously happening, but I'm still on the fence about LillyXBryon. One minute they seem cute together and the next they seem horrible. At worst, they'll be friends...at least until I get to the next plot twist involving Bryon and the Jokers...Read what Bryon says about getting what he wants and clocks in the beginning very closely. It gves a hint of things to come.


	16. Worst Birthday Ever

Childhood. It is a window into what life will be, a time of beginnings, when things are enjoyed and experienced while adulthood still looms far away. It should be pure. It should be innocence.

But Wonderland has a way of twisting everything.

* * *

The door of her father's study loomed before her. She gazed up at it, the polished handle gleaming in the light as she reached for it. Every time she went to his study she always trembled, a dread coming over her small body.

Today Lilly was twelve-years-old, but from the general lack of festivities around the place you wouldn't know it. Life went on as it always did in the mansion. The twins continued to bully her, pulling at her hair and doing childish pranks on her. Elliot was kind, as always, but he was very busy. No one really knew what a special day it was for her.

_Perhaps...I just need to remind them, _she thought uncertainly. _Surely daddy just needs a reminder._

A light touch on her shoulder made her whirl around. There she saw a maid, her faceless expression looking a touch concerned.

"He's busy now. You really shouldn't disturb him."

"I can disturb him if I like!" came her small, petulant voice. "What? Am I suddenly not important enough for him? Am I not-" Her voice broke, as her ears caught voices wafting from within the room.

Her father and...a woman's voice. She gritted her teeth, feeling as if she was about to cry. So this was how it would be?

This was how it always was.

"Are you okay, little mistress?" the maid asked.

"When that woman comes out, I want her shot." The words almost seemed too adult for her little girl's voice. How dare that woman take her father's attention! How dare she make him forget her birthday!

A thought floated just outside her conscience that he probably was fully aware what day it was. He just didn't care.

That hurt worst of all.

"I'm sure it's an important business meeting," the maid said, but her voice betrayed how little she believed it.

Lilly was no fool. She knew exactly what was going on. She wasn't going to have it, not anymore. She wasn't going to stand aside and be ignored. She was practically a princess around here! How dare they ignore her? How dare they...

Tears formed in her eyes. Did they come from anger or sadness? She didn't care.

"You are excused," the girl said curtly, and the maid bowed before leaving.

She turned back to the door where a new voice spoke out from beyond. It was male and very familiar.

Nightmare?

Her mind tried to figure out what business he could have here.

She threw open the door to see three figures sitting in the study, watching her in surprise. Her father sat at his desk flanked by two chair, one containing Nightmare and the other a strange-looking woman.

The woman's fiery red hair was fixed high on her head and pulled tightly back from her face. Not a strand was out of place. Her lips and clothing were an equally vibrant crimson, and her skin was a light brown. Wrinkles lined her mouth and eyes. Eyes...she was not one of the faceless. She had dark, deep black eyes framed by long lashes.

A long mirror on the far wall reflected the scene back to her. She saw herself standing in the doorway, her black hair cut short to her chin, and her eyeless face still managing to display all her anger and hurt.

Shockingly, Blood did not seem irritated by her intrusion. Simply he leaned back in his chair calmly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," she said. _No I'm not_. "But today is my birthday, you know. Is it wrong for me to expect something for it?" She placed her hands on her hips.

A smile cracked on Blood's face. "When have I ever forgotten to give you something for your birthday?"

_It's not enough..._She didn't know what more she wanted, but this was not enough.

"We were just discussing you," Nightmare said.

Her ears perked up. "Really? What were you saying?"

"I have a present for you that is very different from the others," he said. "You will appreciate it, perhaps."

_It better be._ One year he gave her a pony, but when it started to annoy him, he had it sent away. By "sent away" she knew he had it killed. She wasn't stupid. Blood dealt death as easily as he breathed. He was a Mafia boss after all.

"Not a pony, please," she said. "I don't want anything to do with those stinky animals."

"Of course not." His voice rose.

"You'll like it," Nightmare said. "It should suit you just fine..."

"Then quit talking and give it to me!" she cried.

"We can't give it now," the woman said. Lilly's gaze snapped to her. The woman smiled. "It requires much responsibility and care."

Lilly's expression dropped. "It _is _another pony, isn't it? Daddy, be creative! Besides, you know I don't want to have to take care of it!"

Animals didn't last long in the Hatter Mansion. Her thoughts drifted to a rabbit she had a few years ago. Didn't the twins accidentally kill it during one of their games? She clenched her small hands into fists.

Nightmare's laughter echoed in the room. "No, it is the furthest from another pony you can get."

This caught Lilly's interest. "Then what exactly is it?"

The woman stood, shaking her skirts, and slowly came over to the girl. She bent to her level, her deep eyes catching Lilly's gaze. She took the girl's hand. "Do you know who I am?"

"Another one of daddy's women?" she said. "He has a hundred of them. It's like a harem or something..."

Blood shook his head. Nightmare looked amused.

For her part the woman frowned. "You are very free with your words..."

"Yes, yes," Lilly said impatiently. "I've heard it before."

"She has an attitude," came Blood's voice from behind them. "It's impossible to keep governesses around. She always makes them quit. Such a bother."

Lilly's eyes widened. "You're my new governess?"

"I most certainly am not," the woman said coldly. "My name is Abrielle and I am the Red Queen."

"Nonsense. Vivaldi is the Red Queen." Lilly drew away from the offended-looking woman.

"Vivaldi is the Queen of Hearts," Nightmare explained. "The Red Queen is a completely different person...and role. One that will be needing to be filled again very soon."

"We need you, Lilly." The woman reached out for the girl. "Because very soon I won't be around anymore."

Lilly blinked in disbelief. "Are you suggesting...?"

"We don't suggest," Blood broke in. "This is what you will become. I have put too much effort into this for it to be otherwise."

She shivered and shook unsteadily. "I-I don't know." Looking around the room she tried to find a sympathetic face.

"It's already done." Nightmare tapped his fingers across his knuckles.

"I can't stop it," Abrielle said. "I poisoned myself. Next time cycle it will all be over...I was promised that if I did this then I would never have to go through another life again..."

"Then you will take up the mantle," Nightmare finished.

"This is the worst birthday present ever," Lilly cried, looking away. "I don't want someone to die! Matter-of-fact, I demand that you live!"

"Weren't you listening? We meant it when we said you simply can't," Blood said. "This will happen whether you like it or not."

Right there in the middle of her father's study Lilly showed ultimate weakness: she cried, tears flowing freely down her face. Not able to stand these people anymore, she ran from the room, her feet beating against the marble floor.

Finding a place to hide, she fell behind a pillar, sobbing.

"Lilly?"

"Go away, Elliot!" She said through the tears.

He found her behind the pillar looking like a mess.

"What's wrong? Is it the damn twins again?"

She covered her face with her hands, practically throwing herself at him. "I don't want this! This is the worst birthday ever!"

"We didn't mean to forget your birthday!" he said quickly. "After work I was going to give you something...Honest!"

She looked up at him darkly, gripping his shirt. She sniffed. "Did you know about what daddy had planned?"

He froze. "Well..."

"Did you?"

"It's for the best..." he tried lamely.

She stepped back, the tears frozen on her cold face. "Why didn't anyone ask me first!"

He looked confused. "Huh? But you're becoming one of us! That's not such a bad thing! I think."

She said nothing more to him as she turned and left. She was beyond tears now.

Something like acceptance was creeping into her heart: resignation.

* * *

She woke up that morning not recognizing herself. A stranger stared back at her in the mirror. Large dark eyes blinked where previously she had been eyeless. Quick breaths escaped her small lips. It was a much rounder face than her old one...a faint red flush covered her full cheeks.

Touching her face, she felt her smooth skin underneath her fingertips. It was all so new, so fresh, like baby's skin. Her fingers wandered to her eyes, gently brushing her eyelids, running her eyelashes across her fingertips.

This person was not her, but this person was who she would grow into.

She had no choice.

* * *

A/N: Lilly doesn't get nearly enough background information, and as a result it's difficult to understand her. Here is my attempt to remedy that. Ashe and Bryon get a short childhood vignette, and then it's back to the actual plot.


	17. Children among the Roses

Ashe was having the time of her life. The April season was over, meaning she was free from the Joker and the Circus (at least for a little while). Better yet she was absolutely positive that she was to turn nine sometime soon. She didn't know exactly when, but it was close.

When the Circus was gone she lived in the beautiful Heart Castle. Vivaldi had taken her and her brother in out of...well, not kindness or pity. She had no idea what Vivaldi hoped to accomplish by allowing the young Circus girl and her brother to live there.

She vaguely suspected Bryon had talked the King into letting them stay and that in turn was enough to convince Vivaldi. Bryon always knew exactly who he should convince to get what he wanted.

It was a lovely place to be. Rustling roses overflowed from the brush and vines twisted around iron gates. The perfect place for little girls.

Lilly and Ashe's footsteps echoed down the path as they giggled. The mafia girl visited the castle from time to time despite the bad blood between her father and Vivaldi. A lot of it had to do with the fact that Lilly was a small, adorable little girl whom the Queen was bound and determined to make into a proper lady. She often bemoaned that Blood was far too bruitish to raise her.

"I'm the princess, of course," Lilly said. "I can't be anything but a princess."

"But princesses aren't cool," replied Ashe, slowing her steps to match her friend's pace. "They don't do anything. I want to be a monster and eat people!"

"Monsters are ugly." Her voice became testy. "Princesses are pretty. We'll get Bryon to be the monster. He's a nasty, stupid boy so why not?"

"Aww. What can I be then?"

"Hm? You're not pretty enough to be a fellow princess. You're kinda boyish so...I guess you can be the knight and rescue me from the monster or something."

Ashe's expression dropped. "Knights don't rescue people. They kill people."

"No. I have a book that says quite differently."

"_Real _knights kill people in cold blood," she continued. "They're pretty much bad people and they like to lock princesses up."

"That's idiotic!"

"You're the idiot who thinks knights rescue people!" She retorted heatedly.

"Why can't you just admit that you're wrong?"

"Because I'm not. I've seen it..." Her voice became very small. "Why won't anyone listen to me?"

If Lilly had eyes, she would have rolled them. As it was she simply knotted her eyebrows together on her featureless face.

* * *

"Control your sister." Vivaldi's voice was imperious, echoing in the long throne room. Light streamed in through the long windows, touching the faint red accents and heart shapes on the wall. "She's been a hellfion all morning and if it continues we will be tempted to remove her head."

Bryon paused. "Eh? Am I Ashe's keeper now?"

"While Joker is away who else will control her?"

"What did she do this time?"

"She's in the garden. You know she isn't allowed there because she just can't help but destroy the roses."

"I'm sure you could stand to lose a few ro-"

"Absolutely not! They are worth more than you are. Now shoo! Go get her before we do it ourselves!"

Without pausing, Bryon scampered out the room and made his way to the garden outside. After a few moments of searching he heard the children'fs voices past the bushes. Smiling, he peered through to see his sister and Lilly standing there.

"Hey!" He stepped through, the leaves rustling around him.

His sister whirled around. "Bryon, don't knights lock princesses up and kill people! Tell her! She won't listen to me."

The boy winced. "I've told you about talking to people about that. You could get us into trouble."

"I didn't tell her anything specific!" Ashe said. "I just said-"

"We're not even going to hint at it." Being older he was taller than her. He leaned over, gazing down. "Remember, it's our little secret."

"We should tell people, though. We could have saved momma if only-"

"No, no, no!" He said quickly. "That would start all sorts of trouble and yelling and questions and possibly death! Let's avoid that as much as we can, okay?" His face was distorted with worry and concern.

"What are you two talking about? I want to know!" Lilly broke in, her high voice demanding.

"It's a secret!" he said. "Not something for you to know."

"You kids shouldn't be keeping secrets," said a very male and very adult voice from behind them. Bryon inwardly jumped and turned.

Standing there, his long coat floating in the breeze, was Ace with a smile plastered onto his face. "Secrets can be dangerous."

Bryon glanced over at Lilly, his body tense. "I think you should go home, Lilly."

"Why? I don't want to go home! I want to play more."

He gripped her shoulder. "Go home. Please..." It was for her own good. Faceless girls like her meant next to nothing to Roleholders. Sure, killing her would risk the Hatter's ire, but Bryon was never quite sure just how far this man was willing to go.

Something in the tone of his voice made Lilly stare at him in confusion. "I don't understand. Why are you shooing me away?"

He started pushing her. "Time to go now! Have fun doing whatever they do at the Hatter mansion! Don't you think your father will want you back soon? Yes, he will." He whispered the next words into her ear. "Forget everything Ashe may have said today."

"But-"

"Buh-bye!" Bryon patted her on the head and tried pushing her away.

Lilly, looking offended, gave in. "Fine! If you obviously don't want to see me..." She walked away slowly and deliberately, head held high, leaving Bryon to sigh in relief.

"I heard your conversation," Ace said. "It was pretty interesting, actually. I hope the Hatter girl doesn't know it, too. It's not the sort of secret you want getting out."

Ashe watched him, her lips pursed, her eyes narrowed. Bryon grabbed her hand and moved her behind him.

"Ashe," Bryon began. "Why won't you go bother Julius! He won't horribly maim you for disobeying like Vivaldi will...he'll just stare at you all mean and be like 'Are you disrupting my work again?'"

She could tell that he did not want her there, not at all. His voice was too tight, too shrill and frightened. She wasn't scared. So many things had happened in her life that she felt numb to fear.

"But, Bryon-" She started to say, but he laughed and shooed her off.

"Go and do something fun. Just try not to make Vivaldi angry, okay? I'm the one who has to deal with it..."

This routine she knew well. Whenever Ace would come around and Bryon would panic and quickly send Ashe away. Obediently, she hurried off, not even turning around.

The two left behind stared at each other, their smiles similar.

"Any reason to be here or do you just like standing around?" Bryon broke the silence. "Did Vivaldi send you, too, to deal with her? Don't worry. I've dealt with it."

"I wonder why she'd send for both of us...Maybe she doesn't have much faith in you, huh?"

"That's not a problem." He shrugged. "I don't have much faith in myself, honestly. And who knows, knowing Ashe it probably would take more than just me to make her do something..."

"You sent her away pretty quickly. What if I wanted to talk to you two?"

"And whatever could you have to say to us?" The light-heartedness he had been forcing was now completely absent from his voice.

Ace laughed. "It's all right. I haven't done anything to you guys, right? So no harm done."

"Of course you haven't. You only killed Alice." He smiled tightly. "Our dearest mother..."

Ace cocked his head. "How about you not mention her?"

"Dead before her time, so young! The tragedy."

"I don't remember ever killing her."

Bryon laughed sharply. "Well, she's dead now and you don't care! Anyway, I don't think anything productive is going to come out of this conversation." He stepped back, turned on a foot and left as quickly as he could.

The Knight watched him go curiously, his expression almost unreadable.

Somehow, someway he had convinced himself that all of this was all right.

* * *

Sitting at the desk with Julius, the ticking of the clocks filling the quiet study, Ashe idly toyed with her hair. "Sometimes I wish I knew mother better..." she said. "Did you know her?"

"Your mother was a fool. She knew who Ace was better than any of us, but she still stayed with him...and look at the consequences." He eyed Ashe briefly before his gaze returned to the intricate workings of the clock in front of him. "It should have never happened."

"In a perfect world...do you think I wouldn't exist?" Her eyes were wide.

He did not hesitate to answer. "In a perfect world your mother would have never been with that man." Bitterness tainted his voice.

She was silent for a long moment. "Am I a mistake?" she asked breathlessly.

"I am trying to work, and you are beginning to bother me."

She knew right then and there her answer. Silently she hopped from the chair and left the tower behind.

As a teenager she would still come and visit Julius. She had no idea why. Her brother had all but given up on trying to interact with the man. He was a challenge to be overcome, she realized, but what was she trying to accomplish? Hell if she knew.

"I'm here to ask you more questions you're probably just going to brush off!" Her voice rang out in the room.

She heard a deep sigh escape him. "Don't you have other people to bother?"

"But you're my favorite one of all." She smiled. "And you're least likely to shoot me if I show my face..." She set a basket she had been carrying on the table with a plop. "Hungry?"

"You're going to be here for a while, aren't you?"

"You're so grouchy, aren't you? Old age catching up to you?"

He gave her a flat look from over the brim of his glasses. "Unlike you and your slacker brother, some people have actual, meaningful jobs."

"And some people entertain those people." She set her elbows on the table, resting her head on her palm. "Just think of me as entertainment!"

"Don't you have to be entertaining first?" He took his glasses off and wiped them briskly.

"Joker says I'm entertaining."

"I'm not getting into that."

"Probably for the best." She hummed, kicking her feet.

"Did you want something or are you here to stare?"

"Perhaps I want to stare," she says. "You're so pretty, Julius! I wish I could be as pretty as you..."

He scrunched up his eyes. "What are you babbling about, girl?"

"Am I bothering you?"

"Yes."

"Good!" She laughed. "You know, I'm so glad the April season is over and the Circus isn't around...but it's sort of boring without them."

"It's called getting an actual job."

"Who would want me?" Her eyes lingered on the beautiful, shining clock he labored over. "Could you give me one?" she said softly. "No one has to know. You can just slip it in my hands and you'll never hear of it again..."

"Never." His look shut off any opposition. "I can't make someone like you a part of the Game. You either are or you aren't."

"The Game, the Game...that's all anyone talks about! I wish I didn't have to hear it. It's worse at the Circus. Joker can't shut up about it. I wish I could live here. Can I, Julius, please?"

"You would only get in the way. Besides, you have a home. Enjoy it."

"But I hate it back there!"

"Are you going to start complaining about how they make you go to bed at a decent hour and clean your room?"

She looked down at the table, away from him, her expression pained. "It's not like that. You know it's not like that at all. Let me stay here."

"Like I said, you will only get in the way."

"You let my mother stay here."

His eyes sharpened at the mention of her mother. "That was long ago. I've had time to realize it was a mistake. And you aren't your mother, not at all."

"I look like her."

"You look like _him _too."

His words struck her. "I don't."

He wasn't about to argue with her, so they sat in a heavy silence.

"I am nothing like him," she said desperately, leaning across the table.

He briefly glanced up at her. "You are becoming more like him every day."

She searched his face for some sign that he was joking, some sort of reassurance. Finding none there, she silently picked up the basket, her heart feeling heavy, and started to leave for the door.

"But you do look like her," he continued. "And that scares me."

She turned, her hand on the doorframe. "What do you mean?"

For a long moment he said nothing. All that could be heard was the metallic scraping of his thin tool inside the clock's insides.

"Joker uses your resemblance to her for his own gain. It'll only become worse as you become older, I fear. Just another tool..."

Her lips quirked up into the mockery of a self-satisfied smile. "Of course he does. But it gets me what I want. I can play along and pretend. I am ready."

"Are you now?" There was mild curiosity in his smooth voice. "Fourteen-years-old and you think you're so ready to play an adult's game."

She laughed bitterly, now leaning against the doorframe. "I don't have any choice."

"None of us do."

"So why don't you succumb if I look so much like her? You'd think you would be a bit nicer to me."

"Ridiculous girl. You resemble her, but you are not her. There is still a lot of him in you." The words were simple but stung.

She winced. "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?"

In silence he watched her go. Did he feel pity? The man he once was would have. Julius was no longer that man. Alice's disappearance had changed them all. Now he felt colder than he ever had. His heart was completely closed with no hope of ever opening or allowing the light in.

Seeing Ashe was like looking at Alice...but she wasn't Alice. The moment the girl opened her mouth it was quite apparent who her other parent was. If he looked at her for too long he would begin to see traces of _him _in her features: her long nose, her goofy smile...

Her brother was much the same, but worse. The older he became the more and more like his father he looked, except for his eyes and shaggy blond hair. Thank whatever God existed that the boy rarely came around except to fetch his sister.

Julius had never gotten over Alice. Few people had.


	18. The Almost Civil War

The rarely used ceiling fan screeched as it ran in what had formerly been Blood's study. Bookcases surrounded the two people who lounged on the furniture in the room, Michael on the couch and Lilly at the desk.

"So...you run the mafia now?" Michael said.

"Yes," she replied.

"God help us all."

She glared, her thin eyebrow rising. She shuffled papers to the side of the desk. "I'm having a meeting with the leaders of the territories today to establish my dominance as the new head of the Mafia. It's temporary, yes, but it's still important that people understand who I am."

"Uh huh."

"I will earn their respect. And if I don't earn their respect, then my God I will force it!" She drew her beautiful lilly fan and proceeded to wave cool air onto her pale face.

"Something tells me you're going to make one hell of a mafia boss..."

"I'll make you my personal foreigner, perhaps." She smiled.

"What does that involve?"

"Putting up with being molested at every turn."

"You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking? It's so hard to tell with you sometimes."

She giggled behind her fan. "Oh, Michael, it was just a bit of humor. You're the one who said I needed to try to laugh a little more, so don't get so uptight."

He laughed uneasily. The idea of being Lilly's personal...foreigner...did not appeal in the slightest even in jest.

* * *

Business.

Things needed to be done. She even had a new haircut for the occasion. Her long, graceful dark hair was now cut into a bob around her face, straight bangs cutting across her brows. To make it prettier she had stuck a large flower-a lilly-on the side of her head. Roses were gaudy, but one could never go wrong with lillies.

Elliot had been shocked when he saw it.

"Ashe cut your hair again?" he had said, anger tinting his voice. "Tell me. We'll handle it."

"I would kill her if she tried that again. No, this is simply a more practical cut." She had brushed the edges of her hair with her fingers.

Head held high, blood red dress trailing behind her, she walked down the halls of the mansion she now temporarily owned. Coming to a tall door, she threw it open, throwing her shoulders back as she stepped through.

"Good evening, everyone."

The long room was crowded by members of the mostly faceless members of the Mafia and the mansion staff: maids, butlers, etc. The twins, Elliot, Pierce, Ashe and Michael were also present as she had requested. Her voice echoed off the walls, making her sound strong and authoritative. Everyone turned their attention to her.

"Nice hair," Dee said, smiling. "Did Ashe get you again?"

A cold glare. "No," she replied curtly as she sat at the head of the long, wooden table. Paintings on the wall surrounded them, making the room feel cluttered.

Lilly was not nervous. The Mafia, after all, was _hers._

"Why am I here again?" Michael said.

She turned her gaze towards him. "Because I might have something to tell you."

"Like...?"

"Like something important."

"Like putting the toilet seat down or the milk carton back up? Seriously, there's not much to tell me. I'm pretty much just the doofus who mooches off of you guys."

She pursed her lips, signaling for the foreinger to shut up.

"There will be a few changes around here," she said. "First and foremost, coffee is no longer banned...but tea is. If anyone is caught drinking tea I will personally shove the glass you drink it from down your throat in pieces."

"Really? I can drink coffee now?" Peirce looked over-excited.

She sighed. "It isn't for your sake, Peirce."

Elliot's ears perked up high. "That's going too far! Blood is going to be so pissed when he finds out..."

"Too far? Not far enough! And you! Bloody annoying twins," she addressed them.

"Yes?" They said.

"You're fired."

They stared at her in disbelief.

"That's right, you bastards. I'm in charge now. You're fired. Don't come back. Maybe Blood will tolerate your slacking but I will not. Now for my next ordinance. Skanky sluts will be shot on sight. That includes you." She pointed at Ashe. "You're fired, too. Go assassinate somewhere else."

Ashe crossed her arms, her eyes sharp. "I don't work for the Mafia. I work for Dupre himself."

"As far as you're concerned I _am _Dupre." Lilly's look was unwavering. "I _am _the sole representative of this organization and the Hatter family."

"We're not going to take this, are we, brother?" Dum's hand slowly reached for his weapon.

"No, we're not," his twin replied, his hand tightening around his ax.

"I third that. I'm not going to have the little Hatter girl fire me." Ashe drew knives from where she hid them on her body, holding them between her fingers, readying herself for a fight.

"Hey, you guys!" Elliot burst from his chair, drawing his gun. "Stand down! She meant what she said. If you don't want to be fired, then do a better job."

"She fired me for completely personal reasons!" Ashe exclaimed. "It had nothing to do with my job!"

Elliot's normally friendly face became more threatening. "Either way, you're not going to lay a finger on her. Nobody is."

The room was deadly silent as the five stared each other down. The many gazes of the faceless were fixed on the soon-to-be combatants. None of them were sure which side to join. Lilly may have been the head of the Mafia, but she was not Blood. Did she really have authority?

In the midst of the rising tension Pierce let out a squeak and hid under the table, hoping that he wouldn't get caught in the middle of it.

Ashe moved forward. "If I want to hurt the bratty Princess, then I hurt the bratty Princess and you're certainly not going to stop me, Mr. rabbit." She smiled, cocking her head. "Nobody will stop me."

Lip curving up in hatred and distaste, Lilly flung herself out of her chair and drew her fan, morphing it into a shotgun just as it came into her grip.

"What I said still stands." There was steel in Lilly's voice. "I will not be undermined. And he's not a rabbit, idiot. He doesn't even look like one!"

Michael tossed himself into the middle of it all, waving his hands around. "Okay! Woah! Woah! WOAH! Is this what Blood would want to see his employees doing? Killing each other like animals?"

"Actually that sounds about right," Elliot said.

This momentarily set Michael off-track. "Ugh, well, calm down. Especially you, Lilly. How about you try to do some deep-breathing exercises. Breath in and out, in and-"

Two pairs of hands grabbed him on either side of his arms, twin axe blades ready to fall on his head at any moment.

"Let us have our job back!" Dum said.

"We'll kill him if you don't!"

Michael froze, shaking in their grasp. He looked around wildly for help, but Ashe just looked away, unable or unwilling to help him. He did notice she bit her lip and had a pained expression on her face.

"How low and despicable!" Nevertheless the tip of Lilly's gun wavered, her fear of hurting Michael taking over.

The door burst open, releasing the tension in the room as gazes curiously snapped to see who was intruding.

There stood Bryon with a stupid smile on his face.

"Welly, well, well, well. What do we have here?" He entered the heated fray without seeming to even have a care. "My little hellraiser sister, the bloody twins, the Mafia Princess, Blood's second and, um, you, Michael."

Lilly pointed at him. "I'm in charge now! Which means you are trespassing, Bryon!"

"So just as I heard you are in charge. And the result is...just as I feared." He shook his head. "This is why they have not made you Empress of the World."

"I'm doing what is necessary," she said haughtily.

He laughed. "You don't know how to handle people, my dear. You are a blunt instrument, just like many other people I know. You need a bit of subtlety. You've got the power. Now let's implement it correctly."

She put her hands on her hips, eyeing him suspiciously. "And what do you recommend I do, Circus boy?"

"Thank you for asking, you charming human being! Hire the twins and my sister back. They're better with you than against you. Trust me. Even Blood knew that. Causing a mini civil war is not a good way to create a stable leadership. Duh."

"That would be undermining my leadership in front of all these people!"

"Fine then. Don't listen. Have fun digging the hole deeper!" He turned as if he was about to go, and smiled when Lilly called him back.

Her face falling into a look of disgust, she gritted her teeth and said slowly, "I will hire the twins back. After all, it is...tradition to have them around. But I won't hire your sister. As far as I'm concerned she's dead weight."

"I'm hurt," Ashe said. "It's not as if a beautiful, skilled assassin like me couldn't get work elsewhere..."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, sister dear, but you probably won't find work elsewhere." Bryon tapped his chin as if in deep thought. "Hire her back, Lilly. She's useful. Your father had her around for a reason."

A shadow passed over Lilly's face. "Daddy had her around because she's just another tart willing to put out who just so happens to murder on the side. She's a danger. You know this! Everyone knows! Look at what she's tried to do with Michael!" She gestured wildly at the boy who was still in the grip of the twins. "She toys with his emotions, twisting them around before ultimately betraying them. I will not have that sort of person around to hurt my friends!"

"I won't betray Michael," Ashe said quietly.

Lilly gave her a sharp glare. "You always betray them in the end."

"Ashe is actually a good person." Bryon stepped forward. "And the only games she plays with Michael are the ones she lets him play. Speaking of which, how about we let Michael go now that you have your jobs back and all that."

The twins shrugged, releasing Michael so that he stumbled forward. "I appreciate you looking out for me, Lilly, but I don't need this. I'm fine. Ashe is fine. Bryon's fine. Cutting people off like this is just going to cause hurt feelings and piss people off more."

Bryon interjected. "Besides your main concern should be the Mafia and it's well-being...and right now Ashe is a valuable asset."

"I wish you would quit talking about me like an object," Ashe spat.

"I wish you would be quiet for once in your life and let me get you a job," Bryon replied.

Ashe stepped back quietly, her mouth a thin, pink line.

"Fine, fine. Take your damn job back." Lilly's hand was still tight on the shotgun. Elliot came beside her, a tall, large and intimidating figure, his gun drawn. "Oh and, Bryon, how about I give you a job?"

"Depends," he said.

"Be my second. Mafia leaders always need seconds."

"Hold on there!" Elliot cried. "I'm the second of the Mafia boss. You can't just be giving that title away to him."

"Okay," she said lightly. "Then you can stay my second. Bryon will be my two-point-five."

Bryon looked confused. "Two-point-five?"

"Because I consider you half a person. I certainly wouldn't give someone like you a full point."

"You're a lovely woman," he said, grinning. "All full of good cheer and spite. You must be the life of the party."

"Hmph." Her weapon morphed back into an innocuous fan in the span of a second.

Bryon examined Lilly. "By the way, what was the ordinance you created that caused so much trouble? Was it the skank one?"

"It's one of them," Michael muttered.

"Well, keep that one. It amuses me." He grinned. "Matter of fact, let's make some anti-skank propaganda to secure your regime! We'll put posters all over the territory!"

"You're having way too much fun," Michael said.

"My brother and Lilly ruling the mafia...oh my god." Even Ashe looked terrified.

"Everyone! Let's find pictures of skanks! Actually, screw that. We'll put our artistic talents together and draw some sluts!" He hummed happily. "Twins! Get the paint!"

"We'll base our picture off Ashe!" Dee said excitedly.

"Of course you will. I am the dictionary definition of skank." She laughed.

"This meeting is closed," Lilly declared. "Go do whatever you faceless do. And, Pierce, get out from under the table. You're making it unsanitary under there."

As people crowded out the room, Ashe and Michael somehow found themselves left behind in a quickly emptying room.

When the last person left, Michael turned to Ashe. "Your brother is...has he always been this strange?"

She gave him a flat look. "You obviously weren't paying much attention. Sure, he's amused as hell and probably doing this for the laughs, but look what else he managed to do."

"Got the twins to fingerpaint voluptuous women?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's for the laughs. But he's also managed to secure a position of power in the Mafia and defuse a heated situation that Lilly created with her incompetence. All this without anyone being the wiser. Watch him. Even the most idiotic things he does has purpose...or at least I try to think so to keep myself from thinking he's a complete and utter fool."

All Michael knew was that the next few days were guaranteed to be interesting.


	19. The Battle of Wills

Impatience and anger battled within Lilly as she drummed her hands on the table, waiting for the leaders of the other territories to arrive for her little meeting. Being in the same room where earlier she had almost started a fight earlier if not for Bryon put a damper on her mood. It was just another reminder of how little people respected her.

"Oh, but of course everyone is late. Bastards." She said with a sigh. "Tell me, Elliot, were they late when Blood called meetings?"

Elliot paused, knowing the answer would only annoy her further. "They were a little quicker...but don't worry, Lilly! I'm sure they'll be here soon."

She steepled her fingers. "Of course they will, or I'll personally hunt each of them down and bring them here. And, you, two-point-five!" She pointed at Bryon. "Give me your opinion on the situation."

"They don't like you," he said bluntly, casually leaning back in his chair. "Nor respect you. And why should they? You're just Blood's daughter who came into a Role through shady means. As far as they know you're just a little girl with an overheated temper."

Her eyebrows fell into a tight v-shape. "I see."

"As I see it, you should keep the hard edge. It's your one advantage." He smiled knowingly. "But, we need to make your temper something more dangerous than what it is now."

"And what is it now?"

"It's like an angry little girl whose mad because her daddy never loved her."

"Sound like an insult." She leaned forward.

"Hey, boy, you're pissing the lady off." Elliot eyed Lilly uneasily.

"I'm telling the truth," he said evenly. "You're constantly tormented by the fact Blood ignores you. The fact you owe everything you are to him bothers you even more, so you put on a tough facade, hoping nobody will see you as the little girl who wants her daddy's love. It's overcompensation in a way. I know people like you. I've watched my sister long enough. And I mean this all in the best possible way, of course! I worry about you, just like I worry about my sister."

The silence was deadly, and she looked very much like she was about to punch him in the face.

Elliot already had his gun pointed at the boy, ready for the order he was sure Lilly would give at any moment. Bryon looked unfazed and stared them down from where he sat, a smile playing on the edges of his lips.

The order never came. With a heavy sigh, she said quietly, "What should I do?"

"Allow me to handle this meeting," he said. "If they come at all, of course. I'll make sure they respect you."

"Then do it, two-point-five. But there will be hell to pay if you fail."

He nodded. "But, of course, Princess. We'll have this Mafia running as it should be. In the meantime, let's play a game!"

"A game?" She and Elliot said at the same time.

"I don't think this is the time for games," Elliot said.

Bryon waved him off. "Why not? Nobody's here yet." He drew a pack of cards from his coat and set them on the table. Their edges were frayed from use, and the white paper long ago turned yellow.

"You play cards?" Lilly said in disbelief.

"I also knit and cook. Next time you have a meeting, how about I make us cookies? I bet people would come then."

"You'll make a wonderful wife someday." Her voice was filled with mockery.

He grinned widely. "Thanks!"

Something moved in the doorway. Lilly and Michael looked up to see two figures, on the tall and slinky, the other skinny and bumbling, come in.

Ashe and Michael. Wonderland's most mismatched duo since, well, ever.

Lilly made a disgusted face.

"I invited my sister just in case we needed back-up!" Bryon shuffled the cards on the table.

"Hi everyone." Ashe gave a little wave. "Oh my, Elliot! You're just as handsome as ever! Those ears are wonderfully sexy..."

Elliot rubbed the back of his head, unsure. "You really shouldn't be hitting on me like that. It's just wrong."

"It's all in good fun!" She waved it off.

Lilly looked as if she was about to rip the table in half, her fists balled up tightly in rage, her teeth gritted. "Bitchy slutty skanky whore face!"

Ashe blinked, looking around, before pointing to herself. "Is she referring to me?"

"You very damn well know I'm referring to you. Who else would I be talking about? _Michael? Bryon? _Actually, that description kind of fits Bryon...but that's beside the point. Don't you dare talk to anyone I know like that! I told you about keeping your hands off my loved ones. You're a user and an abuser!"

She smiled deviously, casually scooting closer to Elliot. "Hm? Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?"

"What you hear is anger!"

"Could it be that you have a crush on Elliot and are hiding your feelings? I think your forbidden love is cute!"

Elliot held his hands up. "Look, if you make her angry we all have to deal with it later!"

"That's okay." Bryon grinned, poking her tense shoulder. "I like a girl with spirit!"

"I like you in pieces," Lilly huffed. "Besides, two-point-five, you should be on my side!"

"Yes, ma'am! I just love obeying your every command." Stifling a laugh, he patted her on the shoulder.

Michael's shoulders sagged and he sighed heavily. "Guys, is this really how we're going to start this meeting? Sure, so far we're the only ones here...but what about the atmosphere? It's a little, ah, tense." He glanced at Ashe. "And didn't I warn you about baiting her on our way here? She is your boss. She deserves some respect."

"...it's so fun, though," she said.

Michael rolled his eyes. "I don't see how turning her into a glowing-eyed spirit of rage is fun, but you have weird ideas of fun and I accept you for that."

"Lilly, this is the sort of anger I'm talking about," Bryon said. "You're letting Ashe bait you. It only demeans you, you know, and makes people not respect you..."

"As opposed to being respectable like you?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Aw, you really think so?" He shuffled the cards in his hands aimlessly for a few more moments before throwing them onto the table.

"I'll try not to let her bait me..." Lilly gave Ashe a sharp glance. "We'll see how that works. But you are correct, two-point-five, I am demeaning myself. I will try to take her insults...with a colder air." _Like daddy,_ she thought. _Or not. _Half her life had been spent trying not to be like him. "But understand that I don't trust you, Ashe, and I never, ever will. Anybody would be a fool to."

The girl winced. "Of course. I don't ask anyone to trust me."

"And yet you do," Lilly said, her voice strangely calm. "I don' t know how you do it, but they always fall for you...and then you commit the ultimate betrayal."

Ashe leaned on the table, staring at Lilly. "What are you talking about?"

"You hurt those you love best. I'm beginning to think you can't help it. It was how the Jokers trained you, after all."

The mention of the Jokers created an icy silence. Ashe looked struck, as if she was about to cry.

"Trained?" She said numbly.

"The girl who looks so much like Alice...and yet you have no heart and no guilt, so you tear apart those around you. It's what the Jokers want. They love to see you lure men to the Circus only to trap them. They love to see you get with men only to kill them. Because they know you're just as empty as they are and will never have love!" Her words were piercing, cruel. Everyone looked at Lilly with horrified shock.

"You have no idea." She slapped her fist on the table and stepped back. "You always had everything! Some of us-" She blinked back tears. "It's not easy." An ill-fitting smile spread across her face, but her eyes still showed the hurt and pain. "You who've always had it all! You were even given a role by your father! And you still complain that he doesn't love you enough!" She laughed. "At least he gave you more than a prison!"

"Quit playing the victim! So what if your father was a jerk! ? So what if the Jokers mistreat you! ? That's your past. You are free to make your future. Look at me! I've made myself a strong, confident woman...despite daddy! I've proven I don't need his help."

"Have you really?"

"Yes, really."

Michael was about to say something before the situation came to blows, but Bryon jumped in.

"That wasn't necessary," he said quietly, shaking his head. "None of this is necessary. You're only trying to hurt each other. It's sad to watch you girls go at it. I really must admire the fact that you apparently know each other so well that you can dig in that deeply with your insults. Surely this is a catfight for the ages."

"Lilly, you should take a breather," Elliot said. "If there's one thing Blood didn't do it was fight with employees."

"Yes..." She rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself down. "I probably shouldn't have said all of that."

"No, you shouldn't," Ashe said stiffly.

Michael felt a pang of pity for the two women. They did know each other well. At one point they must have been good friends...for their friendship to turn to hate seemed like such a loss.

He stared at Ashe. Noticing him, she smiled back tightly, tilting her head.

_I wonder what Wonderland has done to you? _he thought.

_...Or what it will do to me?_

He shuddered.

"Cards, Michael?" came Ashe's voice, breaking him from his thoughts. She held a hand of fanned cards up.

"Uh, sure," he said, sitting down across from her at the table.

A wicked grin on her face as her long finger scooted the pile of cards across the table towards him. Drawing a hand for himself, he noticed her eyeing him like a piece of meat.

As they began to play the game, Michael realized two things.

Ashe was horrible at playing cards. She constantly fumbled, missing steps and important moves that she should have made.

It didn't matter because she had an advantage so powerful that it made his skill null.

"Oops, I think my cards fell down my blouse again! Silly me!" She said, giggling.

"Uhh..." He stared at her dumbly.

Lilly tapped her foot impatiently. "Michael, quit being a dumbass for five seconds and win the damn game!"

"It's going to take more than five seconds to win a game of cards..." Bryon pointed out.

Lilly gave him a flat look, crossing her arms. "Oh my god. You know what I mean! They're boobs. They are bags of fatty flesh. Mine are way bigger, anyway. They should not be-Michael! Michael!".

Michael pounded his head with his hand. "Higher brain functions...ability to play cards decreasing..."

"Should I be horrified that my sister is using sex appeal to win a card game?" Bryon said thoughtfully. "Because I feel a dull feeling of horror coming over me. Almost like I want to stab my eyes out..."

"You're such a slut," Lilly said. "You should be ashamed."

Ashe laughed. "I love being a slut! I come from a long line of sluts. We've been slutting it up since the dawn of time. Did you know my mother was a slut? True story! Well, according to some unreliable sources, anyway. And-oh. You just lost. Too bad. Good game, Michael."

She stood from the table, a smile slowly coming to her lips. "You allow yourself to be manipulated too easily."

"I'm sorry!" he said. "When it comes to you my brain just turns to mush! I can't think straight! My higher brain functions take a vacation to who-the-hell-knows land!"

"I wish you would learn how to resist me." She leaned forward across the table. "You're almost too easy." Her voice was a low purr.

_...yet you have no heart and no guilt, so you tear apart those around you._

Lilly's words hit him suddenly and swiftly. Being swayed by her antics was not helping her or him, he realized.

This wasn't the real her, after all, right?

He liked to think there was a little girl trapped inside her horrified at some of the things she did, at the ways she manipulated people.

One fact he could not deny.

One thing he had heard over and over from various people.

This woman was dangerous.

She could kill him without a second thought, and already she had said as much.

Then why was he so damn interested? It made no sense. She made his mind swirl with so many feelings. The danger only added a spice to his...love? No, not that. What did he feel for this odd girl then?

_Who the hell knows? _he thought.

Just as Lilly and Bryon settled down to play a not-so-friendly game of cards, a maid arrived in the doorway.

"...er, Madame Hatter?" She said, unsure of how to address Lilly. "There are guests here and they are ready to have an audience with you."

"Finally..." Elliot breathed. "Took them long enough. Come on, Lilly, we should probably go greet them."

Bryon's lips curved. "Ready to make them respect you, Princess?"

"They will more than respect me," she said coolly as she stood from her chair.

_Those two make a rather frightening pair, _Michael thought as he watched them go.

* * *

A/N: I'm fairly 'meh' towards this chapter. But, you know, not every chapter is going to be perfect because I'm an imperfect writer. I'm hoping to eventually take Lilly and Ashe from "GRRGRR" mode to at least being civil with each other. However, a lot of what Lilly says about Ashe is true, especially later on. It's something Michael is going to have to deal with. I really didn't know any other way to convey some of these character analysis. It's necessary for later. Hopefully it's not too bad. Originally I had Lilly say somthing along the lines of "You hate yourself, Ashe. Hate yourself more than anyone else ever could" but I realized that this was just way too cold even for her. However, even I as the writer honestly do think it's time someone in the story told Ashe to quit playing the victim.

Next chappie will include lots of the other Roleholders as Lilly and Bryon wrestle to give the Mafia dominance! Oh joy!

Also, for people who read my M's and this (and I'm assuming that number is few) I'm working on my BorisXAliceXPierce fic.


	20. Gangster Paradise

The long halls of the Hatter mansion passed them as they walked forward, the white, elegant walls reaching up to shining, wooden ceilings. The chandeliers hung down low, illuminating the place in a rich light.

"Remember, be gangster," Lilly hissed.

"All righty! Does that involve gang signs?" Bryon jokingly made something that could vaguely be called a gang sign with his fingers.

"My God!" She stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, daddy. This organization is doomed. Elliot, explain to him what the essence of a gangster is and let us pray he understands."

"Ugh, I think you're taking this too seriously. It's honestly just about blowing stuff up as far as I know, sometimes drinking tea, meeting strange women...at least, Blood didn't do much else."

Bryon laughed. "Sounds fun."

She sighed heavily. "I love daddy...sometimes...but he runs this criminal organization like a day care!"

"Watch what you say about Blood," Elliot said. "He's a great guy, you know. He's been doing a fine job running this place since before you were born."

"Of course he has." She held her chin high proudly. "I don't mean to demean his accomplishments. However, I will do a _great_ job."

Bryon watched her curiously. "Hmm. That's what I like about you. You've got a lot of spirit in you, Lilly. We'll see how this will play out. It should be interesting...even if you horribly fail!"

Before she could respond they found themselves in the wide room that served as the entrance to the Hatter estate. There was several of the territory leaders looking variously irritated.

"We have been waiting for several minutes! Where is Blood! ?" Vivaldi said, coming forward to them.

"He's busy doing...absolutely nothing," Lilly said, easily matching the prideful woman's bearing.

"Of course he is," she replied. "Of course. Well, are you going to leave us standing or are you going to lead us to a place to sit?"

"Right this way." She turned curtly on a heel and indicated for them to follow.

Bryon took a moment to survey everyone who was there and listen to their conversations. He managed to pick out from the crowd an Gowland and a crew of his faceless employees. Most notably there was Nightmare, the Leader of Clover Tower.

"Do I honestly have to be here if Blood isn't in charge?" he whispered to his subordinate, Gray. "It's not against the rules to just leave, right? I don't feel like being here, anyway."

"You're staying," Gray replied, a hard note in his voice. "You know as well as I do that we don't know what's in the rules and what's not. And there's no telling what this Hatter girl will do if we don't show up."

Bryon breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Lilly was too busy chatting with Vivaldi and Elliot to hear their conversation. Her temper would surely flair up and screw things up otherwise.

Going down the halls, they came back the meeting room with the long table and the many chairs. There they found Ashe and Michael still playing a game of cards.

"Still losing?" Bryon said.

Michael gritted his teeth. "I could win a game if Ashe didn't have to keep making a simple game of cards so raunchy...and picking cards out of her blouse..."

"Wait, that trick works more than once?" Bryon scrunched up his eyes. "Wow...just, wow, Michael."

"Why bother with the effort of being creative when you can just do whatever," she said, smiling. "You lost again! How sad!"

"I thought I was smarter than this..." He sighed heavily. "I'm a loser, okay? This confirms it. I guess all it takes is a girl doing this to me and I lose my good mind!"

"You two go find a corner to be in or something." Lilly motioned with her hands. "We have important business going on here. Absolutely not something we need you interfering with...no offense intended, Michael."

The two shuffled off to a far corner of the table as the large group settled down into the seats, Lilly making sure to sit at the head of the table.

"I just wanted everyone to be aware that there has been a change in leadership," she said. "If there are any problems with this, voice them now."

"I think this is a great thing!" Gowland leaned forward. "You're much more likable than that bastard Blood. Then again, a parasite is more likable than him...but that's beside the point."

"Little girl." Vivaldi's voice rose. "What makes you think you have authority over this territory now?"

"Do you see Blood here?" Lilly said. "No? Then I'm the only Dupre around. I may not be the Hatter, but I am the Hatter's daughter and that's the closest you have. The Hatter is currently off doing god knows what, so I'm in charge. No questions, no complaints, right? Because if you do please voice them so I can wrestle them to the ground right now! And keep in mind that I have a gun and Elliot has a gun and neither of us are afraid to use them."

Silence. No one was surprised. By now the temper of the Hatter girl was legendary.

"Excuse me." Nightmare raised his hand. "What are these two doing here?" He pointed at Ashe and Bryon. "I understand the girl works for Dupre, but why is the boy here?"

"He's my two-point-five," she replied.

"Your what?"

"Elliot's my second. He's my two-point-five. I didn't make him my third because he's not worth the extra point-five."

"As you can tell, working with Lilly is sort of like working with a kind and benevolent goddess!" Bryon said.

Nightmare nodded. "I see. Also, I have one request. I don't want the Circus girl and the foreign boy in here together. Their thoughts make it very hard to think."

"What are you babbling about?" Lilly's voice was sharp.

Nightmare held his head in pain. "His thoughts about her are just-ugh! Indescribable! I don't even want to get into it."

Ashe tried stifling her laughter. "I make you think bad thoughts, Michael! ? Ha ha! It's okay. I make everyone think bad thoughts."

"Wait? My thoughts?" Michael looked confused.

"He's in your head...reading your mind. Ooooh!" Bryon grinned.

"It's why she was banned from the Tower in the first place." Nightmare said. "I couldn't stand her thoughts. They're like these constantly buzzing bees of...well, I will just say she is not a deep thinker. And the thoughts she makes people think about her...!"

Bryon laughed, patting his little sister on her head. "Is there anywhere you haven't gotten yourself banned from?"

"Well, everyone tells me to be myself, so I am myself. It just turns out that being me gets me in trouble. But, come on, Michael. We should make this meeting as comfortable as possible for the almighty leaders. Besides, I wanna hear more about these thoughts you're having about me!"

"No!" Michael said, brushing past her as he stood up.

The two left, Ashe's teasing voice still audible long after they were gone.

Nightmare leaned back in his chair, visibly more relaxed. "Much better."

"Also," Lilly continued, her voice rising. "I would like to say this: there is a small strip of Vivaldi's territory I would like to claim for my own. It was once daddy's when I was younger and I used to play on it. I have fond memories. So-"

"No." Vivaldi pursed her lips.

"Simply give me the land and you'll make life much simpler for both of us."

"You are naive to think that this is how it works...that we simply just give land to one another."

"So you want to do this the hard way! ?" She drew her fan from her sleeve, opening it with one graceful motion. It morphed into a shotgun. She moved the point between everyone at the table, her face clearly showing how serious she was.

Vivaldi put her face in her hands. "You are acting like a bully, just like your pathetic father. Be a lady."

Suddenly she felt herself hit the ground hard as a heavy weight moved atop of her. Elliot's weight. He held her down and pried the gun from her hands. "Let's not do anything rash, right, Lilly?"

She gritted her teeth.

Bryon waved his hands in front of him as a peace gesture, laughing uneasily. "What the Princess means to say is that she is making a request for that piece of land. You certainly don't have to give it, and she's certainly not dumb enough to use violence-"

"Yes I am!" she cried.

"No, you're not!" he said back.

She fought against Elliot's grip, managing to pry an arm loose. She pulled one of his ears. He let her go, holding his ears in reaction.

It was a trick she knew since she was young.

Now free, she crawled away and stood, brushing herself off. Sending Bryon a withering glare, her shotgun nevertheless morphed back into the demure fan and was slipped neatly back into her sleeve. "How should I handle this, two-point-five?"

"Good question! How about you close your mouth and allow me to handle it?"

She sat down heavily, crossing her arms. "Fine. See if you can do better than me."

"I certainly won't be pointing weapons at people..." he muttered.

He shifted his attitude, greeting everyone at the table. "Wow! I'm so honored to see all of you. It's amazing. I don't know where to start. Gowland, you're such a talented musician! Your music fills my ears with joy! As a musician myself, I look towards your heart-felt performances to inspire me."

Gowland nodded. "It just takes a lot of practice. You'll reach my level...or half my level...or a quarter of my level someday!"

"And you, Nightmare! You really are as amazing in person as I've heard. Much taller than I expected, too. Vivaldi, you are as lovely as the roses you keep in your garden!"

Vivaldi hid a smile behind her delicate hand. "Of course we are."

Bryon was very careful about making sure none of his thoughts contradicted these statements, lest the ruse be up and Nightmare know he was trying to play them. Bryon was good at controlling his thoughts.

"He's bluffing," Gray said evenly.

"Oh, Gray! Surely you know the splendid...awesome wonderfulness that is your boss? I wake up every morning thinking about how I wish I could be him! You're my idol, sir! And I totally think building a giant statue of yourself is in good taste and Julius is being a killjoy by not creating it for us to enjoy! I want your statue!"

"Sounding just a little gay there, Bryon," Lilly murmured into his ear.

"Whatever gets this meeting over with," he whispered back. "Besides, isn't this fun?"

Nightmare looked ecstatic. "See, Gray. This is how you should respect me. Not by piling papers on my desk and making me work."

"If I worked for you," Bryon said. "I would totally do all our paperwork for you!"

Gray rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you come work for me?"

"See this lovely woman here?" He gestured to Lilly. "I fear she has my services at the moment. Perhaps later."

The meeting continued pleasantly enough with Bryon being able to smooth the hard feelings Lilly had earlier created.

As the territory leaders left, one fact was certain: he was no closer to procuring the land she wanted so dearly.

"All in good time," he told her. "It takes patience, my lovely Princess, something you don't have at all."

"I can't help but feel this whole meeting was a waste."

He crossed his arms. "Oh, it wasn't. We managed to establish you _and _me in our new positions."

She blew him off. "Whatever. I'm tired."

"Excellent! How about I join you! ?"

"You're as slutty as your sister. And, no, buy me dinner first or something. God."

He laughed. "What? Is that permission for me to court you?"

She looked away. "I am not stupid, Bryon. I KNOW about standard courtship rituals around here. It's borderline rape and molestation. And let me tell you that I am no delicate, weak little girl that you can do that with. Besides, I need someone who is just as real as I am. I need a gangster, not a little boy, understood?"

"I think you'll find that I can be 'real' when the need arises."

"I don't know." She stepped away. "Anyway, I'm going to bed now. The cycle has changed and all that."

She left him standing alone.


	21. Return of the Joker

Their was an unusual amount of buzz going on at the Hatter Mansion. The flurry of activity caused by the servants was something the usually quiet place had not seen for ages.

Then again something that had not happened in ages was happening right then and there. At the front steps of the mansion stood a man, his red hair shining in the sun, a smooth smile on his face.

Upon answering the door the nervous maid saw Joker.

"S-sir? May I help you?"

"I'm here to see the Lady of the Mansion," he said.

"You need some sort of invitation. I don't think Madame Hatter will appreciate-"

"Just shut up and let us in." The high voice came directly from the mask, horrifying the poor girl. She stared, not sure what to make of it.

"Ignore it, please." Joker said. "He's just a trinket I picked up from somewhere."

"Like hell I'm a trinket, you ass."

A faint sound from behind caused him to turn curiously, facing away from the maid.

It was Ashe, her lip curled.

"How nice of you to visit," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Because you certainly are just who everyone wants to see right now."

"Just who I was looking for. I just wanted you to know I forgive you for the...incident at the Prison. It's time to come back. You've had plenty of time to rest."

"What if I don't come back?"

"That's not an option and you know it. Your stunt bought you some time-off...but I'm afraid that's all it did."

She slowly approached him, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I don't forgive you, you troublesome f******* bitch." The voice rose from the mask. "And when I get my hands on you you'll never think of betraying us again."

She bit her lip, the color slipping from her cheeks. "You're going to give me to Black, aren't you?" When he gave no response, she continued in a rushed voice. "You say you forgive me, but you're going to give me to Black anyway!"

A cruel laugh echoed from the mask on the belt.

"You can do your worst," she hissed. "Who knows. Maybe I'll grow to _like_ the pain. What will you do then, hm? Whip me harder? Oh yes!"

Joker shook his head at her words.

"Eh." The maid looked completely frazzled. "I'm so sorry. But you can't-"

"It's not a question of I can't," Joker said. "It is a fact. I would like to see the new leader of the Mafia."

"I can't!" the maid squeaked.

Joker turned towards Ashe, a smile curling his lips. "Would you be so kind as to forcibly persuade this woman to allow us in?"

Ashe gave him a sharp look. She wasn't about to do anything for him, but the maid did not catch on to this. There were rumors of how the Circus girl was but a dangerous tool of her masters.

"Uh...excuse me!" The maid curtsied quickly. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too much trouble to allow you to see Madame Hatter for a minute."

* * *

Lilly was sitting under the cool air of the whirling ceiling fan as she worked at the large, thick desk, her eyes scanning pages upon pages of documents.

She loved working, however. It gave her focus.

Sitting beside her, Bryon was being surprisingly helpful by reading aloud sections of the documents she didn't feel like reading or doing the work she didn't feel like messing with.

The opening door broke the tranquil scene.

A trembling maid curtsied quickly towards, apologized and ran off. Left standing in the doorway was Joker and Ashe, two people that made Lilly's stomach churn.

"So, I see you have something of mine," Joker said, coming forward. "You wouldn't mind returning him, would you?"

"From my cold, dead fingers. He works for me now." She didn't even bother looking up from the document she was reading as a way to show him that he just wasn't worth her time.

"Sounds like a f****** challenge," the mask said.

Pursing her lip, she tossed the document down. "He's my employee. You're not touching him. If you do I will punch you in the face so hard your grandchildren will look like me."

Bryon's laughter broke the tense scene. "Those would be some ugly grandchildren! Just kidding."

Joker's smile wavered. "You can't hide behind the Hatters forever. The contract your father made runs deep."

Bryon waved him off. "Yes, well, I'll be doing a lot of hiding behind them for now. So ciao! Buh bye!"

"Is he truly so helpful that it's worth risking a fight?" Joker said.

"No, but he's part of my Mafia now and I don't like my things taken." She punctuated this with a glare.

The mask spoke up. "F****** useless dead weight. Let the Hatters have him! They'll grow tired of the bastard soon enough."

White tapped the mask, for once in agreement with the voice on the other end. "It was getting a bit bothersome having to feed and shelter someone so ungrateful."

"At least we have the b****."

Ashe's face remained utterly impassive. "So I'm going back? And Bryon doesn't have to?"

Bryon seemed to have trouble meeting her gaze, instead trying to focus on the sheet of paper in front of him. "You'll be fine..."

"Of course." Her voice was curt.

She stared at him for a moment longer before she was pulled away, the door slamming shut behind them, leaving the two alone in the room. Rows of books lined the wall, making the place feel ever more cramped.

Bryon was the first to speak, his voice rising in the silence.

"Well," he said, smiling. "That interruption was productive. Thank you for threatening to punch him out. That made my week."

She ignored everything he said. "I know you're using me. I'm no fool. You and Ashe are cut from the same cloth...you just hide it whereas she whines about it. However, I don't use people. I don't hide my intentions. Allow me to be blunt. If you show less than perfect loyalty to this organization then I will have you shipped back to Joker on a silver platter." The sound of her fingers drumming on the table echoed loudly. The inoccuous noise was almost threatening.

"Well...yes, I am using you." There was a strange seriousness in his voice. "It's not wise to trust me completely. I have plans for the future and tricks to accomplish them you could say." He almost seemed sad to be admitting it.

She frowned, her gaze concentrated on the table. Suddenly she looked up at him. "But you can trust me, and trust me when I say I will not tolerate you undermining my Mafia."

"I wish I could say I was part of all this because I want to help you but...I can't. Because that would be a lie, and you don't deserve to be lied to. Just know none of my plans really involve the Mafia. They're just a sanctuary and for me that's where their role ends. I promise you that."

Leaning forward slightly, her narrowed eyes focused on him, their dark depths reflecting the light. "I can never tell when you're sweet-talking and when you're being truthful."

"Story of my life." He laughed and shrugged. "I'm not an honest person, and ironically I'm being completely honest when I say that."

"Then tell me this: what do you want? You're free of the Circus for now."

"My sister isn't free, is she?" He smiled.

At first, she was almost touched by this seeming act of compassion and caring from him, but then suspicion tainted her thoughts. "That's not the whole story. You want something else."

He sighed heavily, the faked good cheer vanishing. "Is it a habit of yours to pick people apart?"

"Is it a habit of yours to avoid the question?"

Sighing, he took a moment to respond. "You can hear your clock ticking away in your chest, can't you?" he said slowly.

"What about it?"

"How does it feel waking up and knowing your place and purpose? To not be constantly overlooked and told that you don't belong? To not be adrift in this ridiculous world and considered less than the faceless?"

"You think having a Role will change anything? It's no walk in the park for us, either. The Roles are all well and good, but they're restrictive. There's not a day we don't feel its shackles. Any Roleholder will tell you that. Only you can help yourself, Bryon. I'd tell your sister the same thing. You make your life as miserable as you want."

"Very wise words, but I've tried that. Sometimes I feel like I'm going through the motions of happiness. Acting, most of the time. Playing the fool so no one suspects me."

"I thought you were just foolish."

He laughed. "Well, yeah, I am. It's had a pretty nasty after-effect. You see, no one suspects me, yes? Joker thinks I'm all but worthless. Why else would he give me up so easily. And yet...all this did was move Joker's concentration from me to Ashe. She's paid for it. She's paid for a lot of stuff I've done, including this." He crossed his arms, frowning.

"There's always a price to happiness," Lilly said quietly. "Just don't betray me and I-" She paused. "This organization will protect you."

"I think this partnership will go well!"

She smiled as she stood. "Just don't screw it up."

Watching her begin to leave, her back towards him, he said, "You mentioned Ashe earlier...How we're cut from the same cloth..."

"Yes?"

"That's not inaccurate but...I'll be honest, occasionally she scares even me. Sometimes I think she's like a bomb ready to go off at any moment. And that _worries_ me. It really does." His brows knitted together.

"She's not your problem."

"Yes, but she's quickly becoming Michael's."

The words filled the room with a heavy silence, a sense of worry and concern floating between the two of them. The ceiling fan clicked above them, fanning air into the room, but even so it still felt stuffy.

Michael really did have no idea.


	22. Entrapment

I have seriously been thinking of dropping this...NOT because I think it needs a bajillion reviewers or anything (I totally understood when I began that an experimental fic like this is not going to get much attention), but because I've been thinking that perhaps the fandom needs fewer fics like this. However, I've come to the decision to continue it. I will finish it. I already have the ending mapped out (it's not happy). In the past I have dropped a lot of projects. This will not be one of them.

BTW, I was thinking about taking out the HNKNA elements from this fic and just turning it into an original story. This version will still be finished, of course. It's just this fic is so deeply involved with OC's and such that it might benefit from being in an original story. Not that anyone would read it, haha. XD Still, it might be an interesting project, and I could consider this version as practice for it.

Oh, and I have a livejournal you can get to by going through my homepage on my profile. Go and say hello or something. Or spam my entries with macros. Either way you'll get a response pretty quickly. I promise to raegface if you troll me.

X

Michael's eyes scanned the muted landscape from the balcony, the cold air brushing his face. From inside he could hear a faint chatter rising, the clinging of plates and silverware. Outside all was quiet by contrast.

Nothing had changed at the Hatter Residence since Lilly had taken over. _Why would it? _Others had owned the Mafia long before Blood. It was unalterable by nature. No matter how hard Lilly tried or with how much fury she approached it the thing would not change for her or anyone.

Something stirred across from him, prompting his attention towards it.

A hand appeared on the edge of the balcony. Ashe drew herself over and plopped onto the other side gracefully. He saw she wore a leotard so colorful even the night couldn't dampen it.

_She must've come straight from the Circus..._

"I thought you had to go back," he said.

She shrugged, drawing up beside him. "Sure, I had to go back, but no one can keep me there. Even if they threw me in a cage. After all, I learned how to escape those from a very smart magician when I was little. Too bad he had to die. He really was quite the addition to the Circus. Very talented old man...guess he was too kind for this world."

"I don't see why you came here."

"I was bored." She eyed him. At this angle her blue eye shown in the light streaming out from the window behind them.

"That's it?"

"Sure."

"I guess you just wanted to see Lilly _that _badly, huh?"

"No." Her soft pink lips curved. "I wanted to see you." She looked at him pointedly. There was something predatory, frightening in the way she watched him that he didn't like. He took a step back, his hand brushing the top of the railing as her wide gaze stayed locked on his.

When she came nearer, she rested her arms around his shoulders. "I've missed you so much."

It was his turn to smile, but his was bitter. "Wouldn't it be nice if you meant it?"

"What?"

He pushed her away gently, disentangling her from his shoulders. She was so thin and frail he could feel the bone and muscle right beneath her skin. Did she always feel like this?

No.

"Weren't you fatter than this?"

Her eyes narrowed.

He frowned. "No, no, no! I meant, have you not been eating?"

She was taken aback, smile fading. "That has nothing to do with anything."

"Are you trying to die at a young age or something? Come on, I'll get you something to eat. I'll even bring it out here for you while you wait if you don't want to be seen by anyone. Just eat something."

Deep shadows cut dark circles under her eyes in the light. No, it wasn't just the light. Of that he was sure. The freshness had faded from her face. She could barely mask the tiredness from him.

"Damn it! What exactly are you trying to do, woman?"

She avoided his gaze, her lips pursed. "...that's not-"

"Why have you not been sleeping and eating? Does Bryon know about this!"

"Of course Bryon wouldn't know. He's quite happy now hiding behind that stuck-up Mafia bitch. But that's all beside the point. I came here to see you, Michael." Her voice changed, lowered into a purr. She stepped towards him, her hand reaching for his. "I wanted to see you so badly...I missed you."

Michael laughed sardonically. "Seriously? You come to me in this condition and expect that to work? It isn't. So what can I do to help you? Buy you a slushie, a cheeseburger? Beg Lilly to give you a bed to sleep in?"

"Could I sleep with you?" She smiled brightly.

"Don't tempt me."

"No, seriously. I dont really like sleeping alone...I try to do it as little as possible."

He didn't like the sound of that, not one bit. He buried his head in his hands as a headache began to beat at his temples. "...you know you freak the hell out of me when you say stuff like that? Do you do it for attention? A cry for help?" He really hoped it was as simple as that.

"Sometimes.

As usual her answer was vague.

"You came here seeking my help, right? You're just acting like you want to seduce me because you need me," he said, analyzing her as only he could a person.

"I don't need you. I don't need anyone." She gritted her teeth and turned away. "I came here to see you, you know. That's all. I don't need you to feed me and give me somewhere to sleep." She made her way to the balcony's edge and slid onto the railing, legs dangling. "Besides, all that leads to is oweing you later."

In one motion she disappeared over the side.

He sighed, shaking his head and leaning against the railing again, his attention again focused on the landscape. Soft footsteps interrupted his thoughts again.

_People just don't want to leave me alone._

Turning, he saw a faceless girl before him, her hands demurely tucked in front of her, her pale face framed by the light streaming from the open door behind her. Had he seen her before?

He tapped his fingers. "Can I help you or something?"

"Madame Hatter doesn't want her around," the girl said simply, stepping forward from the light, the darkness making her into a shadowy sillhouette. The shadows in conjunction with her facelessness was an eerie sight, like seeing a ghost. Michael frowned, trying to tuck this thought away.

"I didn't invite her. Honestly, what does Lilly want me to do? Push her over the side? Pfft. I'd like to see how that works out." He didn't know whether Ashe would laugh or stab him in the face. She had a way of keeping him guessing. A horrible, awful way.

"For your own well-being you should probably stay away from her."

This caught his attention, his gaze fixed on the faceless maid. "I'm aware of that. Besides, I didn't realize so many people knew her." He thought most people just thought of her as some silly Circus girl...

"Of course I know her. She killed my brother."

"Uh..." This shocked response was all he could muster. "She did _what?_"

"He liked having someone with a face pay attention to him...even if that face didn't belong to anyone important." The cold voice of the maid shook him. Sadness was barely stifled under the surface of her immaculate manners. She was a maid of the Hatter estate. Breaking down-especially over something like death-was not an option.

Maybe it was like that for all faceless. Emotions weren't encouraged in them.

"He was enchanted by her...spent every moment he could being with her. I thought it was weird but I kept my mouth shut. She had a reputation even then...but he was happy. Even if it was all fake, he smiled so much and acted so joyously I couldn't stop him. And she drew him in...until I don't think he even knew who he was anymore. It's why it's even more horrible for her to kill him. He was a good man and he treated everyone well..."

"How do you know she was the one who did it?" As horrifying as the story was, he didn't believe everything he heard. It could be more of that manipulation he was growing so tired of.

Lips pursed, the maid turned her face away. "Ask her." The click of the heel was all that filled the silence as she turned to go back through the door.

He fell back onto the railing when he was sure she was gone, sweat beginning to form on his worried brow. He would ask her, all right. He would find out everything, because he knew deep in his heart that this is just the sort of bad luck he always fell upon...and just the sort of thing Ashe would probably do. The fact he wasn't the first, however, made his mind swirl. There were others before him?

It made him feel angry, betrayed.

He quite suddenly didn't feel like going back inside with everyone else. Letting the cool breeze coast by him, he sank to the ground, thinking deeply.

"Seems I can't stay away from you long, huh?" A voice broke the silence, and a slim body slipped to the ground beside him.

He jumped up immediately. "Ashe, we have about five billion things to talk about but I'll start with this...did you seriously seduce and kill a guy?"

She stood. "That's not-"

"This is important! Did you or did you not! ?"

Silence gripped the blackened night, until...

"What can I say. I'm a murdering whore." Her voice was almost a laugh, as if she found something ironic and hilarious in this...or as if she was just trying to stifle the tears and guilt. Who the hell knew? All of the emotions were jumbled up in her face, making her look haggard and tired, her smile hideous and forced.

"There's more to it than that."

"What should I have done? Continued to play into Joker's hand? Continued to use him and then locked him away in a prison to rot? No, I did the only thing I knew to do. I saved him." Her even voice continued, her face calm and impassive. "I feel guilty about a lot. I don't feel guilty about that."

"I completely don't understand your morals."

She laughed. "So you don't know? Dear, dear Michael...the Joker's role is to confuse people until they are lost souls. And then he locks them up in his prison. You were a very grounded person, weren't you?"

"...yeah?"

"But not with me. With me you are lost. With me you show that weakness necessary to lock you up in prison. My job is very simple. I do whatever it takes to confuse men until their minds are warped, until they are lost enough to be put away. By killing her brother I saved him from that fate. Should I have confused and seduced him in the first placed? Of course not, but what was done was done and when I realized it...I did what I did to fix it."

"Fix it." The way he repeated her words made them sound like a hollow echo. "Then what are you going to do me?"

She was silent. "I...don't know."

"Just tell me this: Are you going to kill me?"

"Unless you save yourself from me...yes. I probably will. It'd be better than prison I promise, but there is a way to get past all of this, you know. Don't give into me. Don't love me. don't like me. Ignore me. No matter what you think I am incapable of love, and your feelings for me will never be more than lust mixed with good intentions."

"I-" The word died in the air. What the hell? What was she? What was all of this?

And somehow, someway it fascinated him...like a moth flying quickly into the destroying, burning flame. The moth didn't know why it did so...it was its instinct, its nature to go towards the bright and beautiful fire.

Her hand touched his cheek lightly, fingernails raking along his skin as her body moved close to him. Soft, sweet words he couldn't make out escaped her lips as her face came steadily closer to his, her lips pursed for a kiss before they landed softly on his.

The kiss.

Like being kissed by a demon, or monster, or succubus, but her lips were so soft. He knew the intentions behind it, knew that this woman didn't know love anymore than she knew how to be a well-adjusted person.

But their lips crashed together into something wild and passionate and somehow he forgot about all these things. Biting his bottom lip, her hand holding the back of his head, he could barely form thoughts in his head. When the kiss broke and he saw her mismatched eyes watching him, he couldn't help but regret it, no matter how hot his skin felt at her touch.

Resting one hand on the side of his head, tangling her fingers in her hair, she patted him under his chin. "Silly boy. I've promised you nothing, right? So you should expect nothing."

She moved from him, laughing. He could tell this was her element. The ability to bring him to his knees with but a touch, a kiss and sweet words whispered in just the right way...these must have been the things she loved most more than any person in the world.

He was frightened, but he almost felt that part of him that feared her was seperate from the part of him that wanted to help her, to make her the good person he thought she could be if only someone paid her attention.

As she sauntered away, he watched her go and knew so well...

It was too late.

X

As the writer, I don't see this scenario ending with a white picket fence and fifty-million babies.


	23. Realization

I've written a lot of the rest of it up, and it's angsty, drama-filled and emo. Either you'll like it or you'll be all like "WRITE MOAR SMUT." XD I mean, honestly, this fandom has a glut of OC fics. I know this story isn't helping in the slightest, but I already started it so I'm going to finish it. That's just how I flow, yo.

More of my other fics coming soon.

* * *

The tea party inside was going as well as could be expected. The long table had been set up in the dining hall and people crowded into the seats, their chatter filling the air.

Lilly remained a silent host. All she could think of was how much every bit of coffee (she had outlawed tea to get back at her father) drank and every bit of food eaten cost. The price tag kept going up and up in her mind, making her purse her lips.

"You should talk more, princess," Bryon said as he stuffed his mouth with a large bite of meat. "These are your loyal subjects. You don't want them to think you hate them."

"You should eat less. It's costing me an arm and a leg just to feed you. Besides, do you want to get fat?"

"Huh. You wouldn't like that, would you? I certainly wouldn't want to lose my figure...not while I'm working as your boytoy."

"...what?"

"Why else would you give me a position of power? You totally want me." She knew he was teasing her, trying to get under her skin, and it was working. He poked her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't say stupid stuff like that!"

A few glances of guests who could hear their conversation were thrown towards them, making Lilly blush hotly and protest more.

Noticing this, Bryon proudly announced as loud as he could: "That's right! I am the prostitute of the Mafia Princess!" Then he laughed.

Everyone's eyes swerved to the two. The moment became increasingly awkward as the silence continued.

"You don't think I could do better than you if I wanted a prostitute?" she said haughtily.

Elliot watched them curiously. "Hey, so that's why you made him your number two-point-five. It never made any sense to me until now. You know, I was wondering if you would ever do stuff like Blood did."

"That's not-" she began.

The twins laughed beside Bryon, barely able to contain themselves. They loved watching Lilly get tortured like this, and Bryon could do so better than anyone, even them. It seemed like he simply knew how to get to her.

Bryon grinned at the chaos he caused. "We're going to have about a hundred children and name them all after you guys!"

She wrung her napkin tightly. There were already rumors about Bryon and Lilly (that Bryon surely helped spread, the bastard) and this was not helping in the least. "I would never be responsible for spreading your genes! The children would come out as sub-idiots like you and even my good looks and intelligence couldn't save them! And do you know how difficult having a hundred children would be? !"

"Then we better get started as soon as possible!"

"Do you want me to stab you in the face with this fork? !"

"Yes, please! You're an S, I assume? That's awesome! I'm an M!"

Face flushed with anger, she opened her mouth wide to surely yell at him, but a figure coming up behind Bryon and tapping him on the shoulder interrupted them.

It was Michael. "Bryon, I really need to ask you about some things."

He turned in his chair to face the other man, his look questioning and curious. "Sure. What is it?"

"Not here." Michael bit his lip. "I need to ask you in private."

"Say no more, Michael. I know you don't want Lilly to know about our secret affair," he said lightly.

"Yeah, yeah." Michael made a face. "Look, it's about your sister."

This shut Bryon up immediately. His expression fell into a more serious appearance. Without a word he stood up and followed Michael out into the hall, leaving behind the confused-looking people in the dining hall.

Bryon leaned against a wall, sighing heavily. "What has sister dear done this time?"

"Do you have any idea what she's up to? She hasn't been eating or sleeping and-"

"Oh. That. She does that whenever she's worried about something."

"She told me about some of the stuff she's done before..."

"Like?"

"Did she kill a man?"

He burst out laughing. "Sure. Plenty. It's in the assassin job description, right?"

"Yes, well. I knew that." He searched for the words. "A faceless woman approached me and said she killed her brother."

His face darkened. "Did she? Is she still going on about that? From my understanding he's been replaced since. It's silly to hold grudges like that. Why are you acting so surprised, anyway? I'm sure she's already told you a hundred times by now that she's 'killed everyone she's ever loved' and blah blah blah. Honestly, old news."

"Because I just realized I'm not getting out of this."

"You really shouldn't have gotten yourself caught up in her."

Michael sighed heavily. "I can't help it. I just-look, you got yourself out of that mess with Joker," Michael said, a hint of pleading in his voice as he prodded Bryon. "You can't tell me you can't get her out of it."

He sighed, listening as the foreigner spoke before he slowly and quietly replied. "I don't think Lilly would take her under her protection like she did me…"

"You could figure something out. It _is_ you, after all. I'm sure you could mastermind a plot for world domination…and yet you won't even lift a finger to help your own sister?"

He crossed his arms, leveling an even look at Michael. "Why are you concerning yourself with this, I wonder?"

"Because unlike every other person here I don't turn the other cheek when I see something that's wrong. And this-whatever this is, is wrong."

"You want to save her." He smiled wearily. "You wouldn't be the first. But like all the others you miss something: this is partly a situation of her own making. I wouldn't say it's _all_ her fault, of course…That's too harsh, isn't it? You know, I've watched her play Joker's games since she was twelve. Nothing's changed since then. Faces change. Different men try to help her only to find their kindness repaid in prison or with death. The only special thing about you is you being a foreigner, so you're a little more difficult than a faceless whose looking for a purpose and reason and finds it in her. It's sad, I think. Like the blind leading the blind…"

"I think she feels guilty."

"Me too. Especially since she sort of likes you. But that's not going to save you. There's another reason why I don't help her…" His words came careful and slow.

Michael knotted his brow together.

"You can see how she is with a master," Bryon said. "Now imagine what she'd be like if I was to free her and turn her lose on the world."

"Aren't you sort of thinking about her like a dog? ! People don't need masters…that's slavery, and it's one of the things that made her like this in the first damned place. She could be a decent person if she didn't have people prodding her not to be and treating her like scum. People become what you force them to become."

"Your perspective would be noble in any other situation, I'm sure, but not here. She's always had a little bit of this in her…it's only been manipulated to serve Joker's purpose." He laughed. "But really this conundrum is like that of the chicken and the egg. Which came first? The Joker's manipulations or her cruelty…"

Disbelief marked Michael's voice. "You act like you don't care about her at all."

He knew he crossed the line when Bryon shot his sharp response. "I love my sister. I've been there for her when everyone else abandoned her. I'm probably the only person who does care. But you have to maintain a distance from Ashe. Don't be foolish, Michael. I'm her brother and even I'm telling you to stay away from her."

An awkward silence ensued as the two stared each other down.

Suddenly Bryon broke out into a smile. "But enough of that. I'm not one to talk about family! Especially when your family consists of only one or two people."

"Do you have any idea why she does this?"

"Habit? I don't know. She's empty, Michael. I don't know what you're planning on finding in her, but what was once my sister has been eroded by the years. There is a hole in her being that she constantly tries to fill…but she can't and that fact leads her to unhappiness. I wish she was my little sister again." He smiled bitterly. "But then again you can wish for a lot of things." Staring at the ceiling, what followed was a heavy, aching quiet.

His thoughts whirled as he processed over and over the things Bryon had said.

Bryon continued to speak, this time quieter. "If you want to know a secret, here it is: It's a badly-kept secret that my sister has been unraveling for a while now. I've been watching the slow descent into madness with no stops...it's like she can't help herself. Like madness draws her. I don't know. All I know is she's not the little girl she once was. Something snapped in her. Something changed her."

"I don't know what to do," Michael said desperately. "It feels like I'm drawn to her and no matter what I do or think or know I can't get away."

"Funny. I've heard that one before. Maybe it's her empty heart that attracts people…they want to replace the blackness with love as idiotic and naïve such a thing is..."

"Calling her heart empty is going a bit far, Bryon. I know people have clocks in this world but-"

"I mean literally. She doesn't have a clock or a heart, you know. It's only emptiness where there should be one. Then again neither do I. It's why we can break the Rules, why Nightmare can't read our minds, why we don't dream and…why people are drawn to her and maybe me. It's enough to drive a person a little crazy."

"It doesn't seem to affect you."

Bryon's glance contained indescribable feelings he covered with a small smile. "I guess not." He laughed. "I certainly have no real plans to get a clock…" His smile widened the way it usually did when he was telling a lie. "Anyway, I have to go molest Lilly now! It really was a pleasure gossiping about my sister with you!" With a laugh that sounded high and forced, he gave a small wave and retreated back through the door into the dining room with all the others.

Only a few moments later did Michael hear Lilly slowly open the door and come through the doorway, revealing herself. "I heard your little talk with Bryon."

"Eavesdropping is a bad habit," Michael said flatly.

"Bryon knew I was there. I can't help you weren't informed. Oh, and the twins might have heard too…and Elliot…and half of the guests."

"Great." His shoulders dropped.

"Anyway, we've all come to the consensus that you're a dumbass and have been playing along with her games."

"What? Being nice to her is playing along? Excuse me for having decency."

"There's a reason people avoid her unless they have a death wish. I certainly wouldn't be involved with her if it wasn't for Bryon. Ashe is whiny. Ignore her. she complains about being sexualized and objectified whilst acting like a skank. Sorry, hon, but what did you expect? I don't have to respect her. I lost that respect when she started this crap up when we were younger. Man, this is giving me a headache of the highest order." She rubbed her temples. "In short, stay away from her. Don't talk to her and don't make eye contact with her and maybe you'll be fine.""

"I don't even know how I got involved frankly…and I don't know how to get out. It's just I feel so bad for her. I want to help. Helping people is sort of in my nature, anyway. And…a lot of times it's like she's reaching out to me…because no one else will listen."

"Michael…please-" the word came out rough as if she was unused to using it. Desperation and worry accompanied her words, her small hand resting gently on the slope of his shoulders. "Stay away from her. Bryon's over-thinking this as usual. Her reasons for being the way she is don't matter. What does matter is that you're in danger and if she ever tries anything I'll pop a bullet through her mug before she can do a thing."

He nodded. "I know you're right. God, I feel so stupid."

She rolled her eyes, lips quirking up. "It's fine. Anyway, talking about this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. You better come on in here with me and keep Bryon from torturing me further."

They stepped into the dining hall together and with a wide grin Bryon turned and exclaimed. "Oh, Lilly! I was just telling everyone what it's like to be your boy toy!"

Narrowing her eyes, she stomped towards the table, her fan drawn. She smacked him upside the head with it. "Idiot! Don't think I will not take you down right here!"

He laughed. "Sounds dirty!"

"I mean I will kill you, you cretin!"

"What are you going to do? Send your women's book club-I mean cult-I mean Mafia after me?"

The ensuing fight made Michael laugh, but somewhere he was disturbed by how quickly they changed their attitudes. Then again this was his problem, not theirs. Their lives did not revolve around him and his issues, he reminded himself. Sometimes it was easy to forget that people had their own lives to live.

Bryon especially seemed to be finding a life of his own…perhaps that was intentional.

Michael was alone and one way or another he would have to find his own solution.

* * *

The party at Hatter Mansion was slowing down for the night. Employees were returning to their rooms to rest for the next busy day. The conversation and chatter in the room had died down to a dull hum, and the clatter of silverware could be heard. People were finally stuffed with food, unable to even take another bite. Most were reduced to picking at what remained on their plates with their forks.

The mood had died down to a feeling of boredom, which only encouraged to Bryon to talk more.

"A question for you twins," he said. "Let's say I wanted to kill someone, yes? What would be the way to do it that left the least amount of a trace? The cleanest possible method ever."

"Great dinner table conversation," Michael said

"Where's the fun in that?" Dum said.

"Just take an hatchet to their heads. Why do you have to complicate it? Make it messy and fun!"

"Already plotting to overthrow me?" Lilly said. "Use poison. It's cheap and easy...because I'll see a hatchet coming, and I will _take you down._"

"It was just hypothetical. No worries." Bryon smiled.

Elliot ears perked up, his face highlighted with disgust. "He can't be trusted, Lilly. Do you want me to shoot him now?"

"That sounds like a decent idea, Elliot," she said.

Bryon held up his hands defensively. "No, seriously, guys, just kidding."

Lilly rung her thin hands. "Of course you are, two-point-five, because the moment it turns out you aren't telling the truth...well, I'll do what a Mafia does best, yes? Or Elliot will. Whatever. Either way you die."

Bryon rested his hand on his cheek, eyeing her side-long. "Lilly, If I was going to kill someone, don't you think I have other people would take precedence over you?"

Before any reply could be formed, the door opened and in strolled Blood, yawning as if he had awoken from a nice nap.

"I'm surprised," he said. "This place hasn't burned to the ground."

"Blood!" Elliot stood, excited, clapping his hands together. "Finally! You're back."

"Boss!" The twins exclaimed.

Lilly looked less thrilled than the rest.

"You did a brilliant job of keeping the status quo, I see," Blood said, coming behind her. "How was it? As easy as you expected? Of course not."

She bit her lip, narrowing her eyes and trying to fight back her temper. Blood was not the person to explode at. "I _did _make changes. I outlawed tea."

"You did _what?_" This genuinely seemed to surprise him.

She jumped from her chair. Then, standing with her hands on her hips, she said. "That's right. It annoyed me. So I did away with it all while you were gone. Come on, Bryon!"

Although she was making a show of being tough, she was actually trying to leave before the impact of what she said had registered with Blood.

"I told her the whole 'outlawing tea' thing was stupid but you know women! They don't listen..." Bryon said as he stood and hastened to follow her out the room.

The angry, annoyed Blood Dupre turned to Elliot as the object of his frustrations had left so quickly. Lilly could always get away with things that no one else could. It was the one kindness he had ever spared his daughter.

"What is that Circus boy doing here exactly?" He said, irritation marking his voice.

"She made him her partner-in-crime or something," Elliot said, shrugging.

"Him? Of all people?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why would she do that? No. Don't tell me he's seduced his way into this house!"

Elliot blinked, looking shocked. "No! You know I wouldn't allow that! She hates him. She just-uh. I have no idea why she keeps him around, frankly. He just sits there day after day, flirts with the maids and makes stupid jokes. I'm serious when I say he contributes nothing."

"I see." Blood filed Bryon away as a problem for him to deal with later. "I'm the leader again. Get rid of this...coffee." He clapped once to make a point to the remaining servants to hurry up do as he said. "And get me some tea. Fast."

Michael was sure Blood was having tea-withdrawals, and the thick scent of coffee was probably not helping.

* * *

That night, sitting alone, bored and unable to sleep in his small bedroom at the Hatter Mansion, Michael realized he had finished every book on the shelf. With a heavy sigh, he made the trek to Blood's office to see if he could get any more books.

_Surely Blood will be gone at this hour._

Blood was there, standing in front of his desk, idly shoving paperwork around. His head swiveled towards Michael as he entered, a deep frown etched on his pale face.

"Ah. You," Blood said, saying 'you' as if he couldn't care less about remembering Michael's name or face past this moment.

"Yes, me. Apparently the worst, most uncute foreigner ever. I'm just here for some books." He made his way towards the bookshelf, but Blood's cane swiftly blocked his path.

"Who said you could have access to my books?"

"What else is there to do, Mister Hatter?" Michael said, his voice tight.

"Then go find that Circus girl you like so much and play with her."

"Please don't bring Ashe into this or you'll give me a headache."

Blood's smile curved into a wicked line, one eyebrow rising into an arch. He was the picture of smug arrogance. "I think it's amusing for someone like you to get so wrapped up in a silly girl. I never did."

That statement struck Michael as almost too defensive. Then he remembered a name that was bandied about every so often in hushed, regrettable whispers. "What about Alice?"

The Hatter turned his face away in disgust, going over to face his desk, placing his gloved hand atop it. "What about her?"

"You loved her, didn't you?"

A shadow passed across his face before he shook his head, drumming his fingers across his desk. "I toyed with her. There's a difference. Those who can't tell the difference between love and being toyed with, like you, inevitably fall." A final bump of his finger on the desk seemed to add to his point.''You're a sad wretch, Michael, and I almost feel sorry for you."

Michael watched in disbelief. "So never once have you ever fallen in love? Ever?"

"Of course not." His voice was sharp, warning, but Michael wanted to push him further.

"Ashe...looks like Alice, doesn't she?"

"What?"

"I've heard people talking and they've said it. I think I've figured out where she places in this world...and why she doesn't quite fit. She's Alice's daughter...well, her brother is Alice's son, I guess. Both of them don't really fit. I think you Roleholders know that but you don't want admit it."

For a long silent second, Blood concentrated on his desk. Then he lifted his gaze, a smug smile crossing his lips. "Is she, now? This is certainly new information to me. Continue." Despite his words, Michael could tell what he really wanted him to was shut the hell up.

"In a way that means you and the other Roleholders lost the Game...because you lost Alice...to Joker and-"

"Ace." The word was simple but venomous from Blood's lips. "But I never lose games, Michael. Never."

"So you guys do know about Ashe's and Bryon's origins, just as I thought. Why the hell did you not do anything about it then?"

Blood leaned against the table, his gaze sharp. "Alice wanted Ace. I let the whore get what she wanted. Deserved."

"Oh." He took an involuntary step back. "You guys are bastards. She made a mistake, and fell for a guy who probably wasn't right for her doesn't mean you need to let her suffer like that! That's just nasty and spiteful."

A cold laugh escaped Blood. "Look at yourself before you speak. Are you so different? And yet you dare speak to me like that. Pitiful."

He rubbed his temples and huffed a sigh "Of course you refer to Ashe..."

"You're going down a dark road with no way out. The girl will see you either dead in Prison or dead by her own hand. She's the worst of her mother and father combined, really. Then again they are both smart manipulators...the boy and the girl. I don't trust either of them."

Michael watched Blood turn his back to him to face the bookcases lining his wall, running his hand habitually over the spines. "Are you leaving anytime soon?" he said, his voice annoyed.

"Look, I know I don't have boobs so you're probably not going to let me in on your private collection of books..."

"I allow Elliot to read them occasionally."

"Not even getting into the implications of that, man."

The heated look Blood sent him caused Michael to scamper from the room as fast as he can before the Hatter could express his displeasure. _Stupid mouth of mine strikes again, _he thought.


	24. Halloween

Time fluctuated oddly with no reason or logic. Michael was used to time going in a straight path: seconds ticking down minutes and minutes ticking down the hours. Here time was a random, illogical thing that danced to its own unfathomable rhythm.

It made sleeping or doing anything on a schedule very difficult.

The Hatter family was having a small party for Halloween. Nothing extravagant. Nothing too large. It was important enough to Lilly, however, that he be there. He had no idea whether he was late for it or not. Time was a bitch here and unreliable. Opening the large doors to the main hall of the Hatter mansion, he was relieved to find people clustered about and to hear the din of their talk.

Relief disappeared when he saw Lilly approach him at full speed, irritated, angry and dressed in a rich red witch's costume.

"I'm not exactly late..." he began.

"Where's your costume?" she snapped.

That's right. He had arrived in his normal outfit, not a costume. "Oh. That. I decided to come as a loser. Like it?"

Her narrowed gaze moved up and down. "I'm not amused. I expect everyone to arrive to a Halloween party dressed in costume."

"No, seriously, Lilly," Michael said. "This is my costume."

"Fine. We'll ask someone. Two-point-five!"

Bryon appeared from the crowd, wearing a white suit and devil horns, carrying a drink and waving to a group of giggling girls. "-and I'll see you ladies later! The goddess calls me! Yes, Lilly?" He turned his attention to her.

"Does that look like a costume to you?" She pointed a thin finger at Michael.

"What? That's not a costume. He's always a loser!" After Bryon said this, he laughed while Michael looked miserable.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Lilly's lips curved into an expression that was unfamiliar on her face: a smile. An actual smile.

Michael's expression flattened. "Aren't you people supposed to love foreigners and want to marry me or something? I should be getting ninety-nine percent more game than this!"

"What about my sister?"

"Oh god." Michael felt a headache coming on. "Don't mention her. It will summon her and then I'll have to deal with her..._seducing _me and then threatening to kill me. Right now she makes up about eighty percent of the problems in my life."

"Well, forget problems!" Bryon said. "It's a party! Let's drink to our health!"

"You'll drink to your death," Lilly said flatly.

X

Michael didn't know how Bryon had managed to drag him to a table in the middle of the room, but when he started offering him drinks, Michael didn't turn them down. One drink turned to two, then three, then four...it continued from there. Michael and Bryon spoke to each other in too loud voices, their smiles too wide, their laughter too loud and raucous, helped by the alcohol flooding their systems.

"How many feminists does it take to change a lightbulb! ?" Bryon said cheerfully, idly tapping his glass.

"I don't know."

"None. Because feminists can't change anything!"

"I'm going to laugh at that, but I have no idea why I'm laughing!"

"Me neither!"

"Okay, okay." Bryon continued tapping his glass. "Here's another woman joke. Why shouldn't women be able to drive?"

"I think I know the answer to this one, but since you seem so excited about it then you go ahead and tell it."

"Because there's no road between the bedroom and kitchen!"

A shadow hovered behind Bryon, fiercely glaring him down. "Ha. Ha. Ha." The sarcastic laughter that escaped Lilly's lips was threatening.

Bryon turned. "Oh. Lilly. Hi!"

She glared. "Tell any more jokes like that and I will take you out back and turn you into a woman with a rusty knife."

"You are the beam of sunlight in my life!"

She turned to Michael. "And, you! I expected better!"

He stared at her, wide-eyed. "Ah, come on. Don't you have a sense of humor-"

"Those jokes are just offensive! Explain to me the humor!"

"Uh-"

"Explain!"

"We're drunk?"

"Well, then, I have no intention of speaking to drunks," she said. "I will be back when you two sober up. I hope you're subpar jokes keep each other entertained."

She left without saying much more.

Michael and Bryon looked at each other, shrugged, and continued telling the most idiotic jokes in their repertoire before another figure approached the table.

A dark figure, cloaked in black. Blood Dupre, dressed as a vampire for Halloween. He sat across from Bryon, eyeing him.

"What are you doing?" Were the first word's from the mafioso's mouth.

"Just enjoying my alcoholism, sir!" Bryon smiled and held up his drink.

Blood eyed him with disgust.

"Am I to understand you wish to be part of the Mafia now? Because there is more to it than just following my daughter around."

"Really?" Bryon said. "Do I have to sleep with her, too?"

Michael stared at him open-mouthed. "Dude! I know you're drunk but have some civility!"

Bryon laughed. "I'm not drunk. I'm just screwing with you guys, actually. So, Mr. Hatter, what must I do to become part of this little book club-I mean big, bad Mafia?"

"Not insult it," Michael muttered.

Blood stood without another word, obviously not happy with what he had just seen. "Lilly obviously sees something I don't, because you are nothing more than a worm. Watch yourself."

Michael watched him leave. "Huh. You just made an enemy."

The smirk on Bryon's face was unbelievably cocky. "No. I just made it so I don't have to join the damned Mafia. I don't want to get in favor with Blood. So long as I have Lilly's favor...well, there's not much they can do to me, right?"

"Are you just using her?"

This seemed to catch him off-guard. His answer came quick. "Every person uses everyone. It's how the world works."

"I didn't ask that. I asked if _you'_re using _her_."

Bryon began studiously avoiding Michael's eyes. "I try not to do to much damage. I do like her. She's interesting for an angry firecracker in a woman's body...but I have my reasons and such. I won't do more than she doesn't know about. Lilly's smart. She figures things out."

Michael set his elbows on the table, watching Bryon's turned face. "You do realize that having a million different super secret plans like that is just going to lead to your own ruin, right? Look, I don't know what you have planned...but it worries me."

He waved him off. "I promise not to hurt anyone, but things will change. Everything will change. For the better, maybe." With a smile, he changed the subject, blocking all of Michael's attempts to change the subject back.

X

As the evening drug on Michael saw someone he did not expect. Her.

There she was standing there against the wall, red sequined dress bright in the light, black hose torn up to her thighs. Her foot against the wall tapped a beat to the music, her eyes scanning the crowd...and he was drawn to her, drawn to her like he was drawn no one else as if a deadly enchantment took his senses.

He stared across the seemingly impossible distance between them.

Her eyes lifted, a smile breaking her expression.

Without stopping, without waiting, he walked over to her as if pulled by an invisible force.

Ashe gave him a small wave.

"I look cheap, don't I?" she said.

This caught him off-guard. "Huh? Uh. Yeah. A little."

"Damn." Her expression fell. "I always look cheap. It's doesn't matter what I put on...I always end up making it look cheap. Even I want to be pretty sometimes."

"You could try not dressing like a ho. Just a thought."

"But how! ?"

"Take that dress, right? Now dress the complete opposite. You will now be a non-ho."

"Then I'll be dressing like Lilly. No thanks."

"What are you supposed to be dressed up like, anyway?" he said.

"A princess!"

"...seriously?"

She bit her lip. "I don't look like a princess?"

"A brothel princess maybe." This was the nicest way he knew how to put it.

"Why does everyone always say that! ?" Despite her words, she gave into a laugh. "Yeah, I guess I'm a pretty cheap girl, though. So, did you come over here to ask me to dance or to stare?"

Shrugging, he took her hand and asked her to dance, pulling her onto the dance floor and giving into the beat of the music. The song filled his movement, carried him along into the lull. She had a raw, powerful way of dancing that was so different than the way everyone else danced. She obviously had no formal training, no instructors. She just gave into her emotion. It was intoxicating, this feeling, her emotion, and he felt overwhelmed. He gave in and the dance went on.

And on.


	25. Spaceships and Romance

This story is coming to an end soon. I just have to set up the pieces.

* * *

"You're an awful dancer," she remarked when the dancing was done, when the music died around them. She stepped away, swiping her hair behind her shoulder.

"You're not much better," he said, irritated. Where had he heard this before? Why did everyone insult him? Weren't they supposed to unconditionally love him?

Or maybe that was only girl foreigners, and Ashe wasn't exactly a Roleholder, was she? Not that the Roleholders liked him much better. Actually, it was quite clear that nobody liked him. The thought depressed him.

"Aw. What's the sad face for?" she said.

"Hey! Hey!" A voice broke through the air before he could answer. The twins grabbed on to either side of him.

"Foreigner!" they said.

He stared at them. "Yeah?"

"Brother and I were making bets on what your world is like," Dee said.

"Do you have laser guns! ?" Dum interrupted, red eyes wide.

"Sure. In my world we travel through space with hyper drives and find hot alien chicks," Michael said sarcastically. "On Thursdays we battle alien invaders. Wednesdays is bingo night."

They stared at him in silence.

"Seriously?"

"That's so cool!"

"NO!" He shook them off. "Why the hell would Wednesday be bingo night, guys? But the hot alien chicks are completely factual and you should go tell everyone that I did fifty."

"You must be quite a popular man back in your world," came a smooth voice. Blood Dupre came into the scene, his cape sweeping behind him. "I don't know how they kept their hands off of you."

"Well, you know how girls feel about guys with spaceships…oh wait, no you don't," Michael was having too much fun screwing with them. Were they truly believing this crap? God. "Maybe you should build a spaceship, Blood, to up your girl quota a little."

Blood gave him a strange look. "You needed a spaceship to get women? Truly?"

Michael was at a loss for words. "Well…"

A low laugh escaped Blood. "As I thought. You weren't very popular with women back home, were you?"

"No, I just had a deep and loving relationship with knowledge." Michael gave him a sour look. "Women couldn't compete…"

Blood smiled, saying nothing. What could he say? The young man was defeated.

Noticing his mood, Ashe tried to rectify the situation. "Hey! It's too loud and noisy here! Let's go somewhere else!" She snatched Michael's hand. When he attempted to protest, she only gripped tighter and yanked at his arm. She dragged him outside towards the balcony. There they stood in silence, staring at each other.

"How come we always end up here?" he complained.

"Because it's a convenient place to push you off the edge." She laughed.

That shut him up in short order.

"Time's ticking down…" she said absently.

"For what?"

"I don't know honestly. I just know this can't go on forever." She stared at her feet. "We can pretend it's not coming…but the end is coming, my love." The way she called him "my love" made it sound like an insult of some sort. "You can't stay a free entity forever. I'm being pressured to capture you." She watched him as if she wanted to see his reaction.

He had no reaction. His face was utterly impassive, uncaring. He knew. He knew all along. "What do you want me to do?"

"Kill me, maybe." She laughed but looked unhappy. "Or kill yourself. I'm going to have to put you in prison. It's my job…"

He stared at her, at her broken expression, at the broken girl.

Then her attitude suddenly changed. As if she was gripped by some sort of madness, her eyes became sharp. She moved swiftly towards him, holding her head against his chest.

"Or I'll kill you…" she whispered.

"As you've said before," his tone was again impassive. He had to not care. Caring too much hurt.

"Kill you with love. Oh, love! Love, Michael...is the sweetest way to die. Let's write our love in blood, Michael..." The sweet, poisonous whisper escaped her lips. "It's the only way I can save you."

He stepped back from her and sat on a bench, resting his head in his hands, trying his best to not care. Remaining impassive was difficult. It was always so difficult. He had a flaw: he cared too much.

"Don't love me," she continued. "I'll only make you hurt...but hurt in the most fabulous way." She sidled close to him. One of her many knives was fixed to his throat, its thin edge ready to make a deadly cut across his pale skin, but rather than hurt him she pressed her lips to his.

"You're so messed up! Don't you know any other way to communicate than through pain and threats! ?"

She stared him evenly in the eye. "I think pain and love are one and the same, you know, and isn't sex and death the same, right? I don't draw any distinctions. I never have."

"You should! You really, _really_ should!"

"I could do it so gently..."

"What! ?"

"Kill you..."

"Okay! That's enough of that. Let's go find your brother and a therapist...if those exist here." He pushed her heavily onto the floor.

"Ow!" She fell with a thump.

Standing, he brushed himself off.

She drew herself up, giving him a flat look. "When I'm trying to seduce you-"

"That's not seduction! I don't know what that is but it's not seduction on any planet! That does it! I'm leaving!" Anger shook in his voice. "I'm leaving this damned dimension or Wonderland or whatever the hell you guys call it! I can't stand it here! You're horrible, Ashe."

"But Michael…" her voice was trembled.

"What! ? What could you say to me that could make me say? You keep trying to kill me. You're trying to get me stuck in a dead-end relationship. What could you say! ?"

"I love you," she said it innocently. "I'm so impure. I need your purity. I need your goodness. I wish I could be good for you. Good and righteous and true and loyal. Just for a day. And I would love and be loved by you because I would be a good girl who was never the filthy girl I am now. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Look…you're not filthy. Flawed, but not filthy. Quit thinking of yourself like that. It's just going to lead you to more pain."

She came close to him again and slid her hand into his pocket without him realizing. Out she drew a vial. She held it up for him to see. "Remember when I gave you this?"

"Yeah?"

"Forget it. I know what _else _it does now."

"Wait. What was it in the first place?"

"It makes you a part of the Game. Remember? But it also allows you to go home eventually. And I don't want you to go home. I don't want you to ever leave me. Ever."

"Ashe..."

"I don't want you to leave me!"

"Give me the vial back."

She held it tightly against her breast, her grip turning her knuckles white. "No!"

He tried desperately to grab it from her, but she eluded his grasp, easily evading him.

"What if I want to go back? That's not your decision!"

"No, Michael."

"I have a life outside of this place. And quite frankly I'm emotionally exhausted. Let me go home, please. Don't do this to me."

She wavered on the edge of the balcony, holding the vial between two fingers precariously over the edge. Then, turning her face to him, tears shining, she said, "You can't go home...because then I wouldn't have you anymore." Her hand shook. "You're the only person who cares. The only one..."

He stood dumbfounded. "You keep talking about killing me and you don't want me to leave? Wouldn't that be the easy solution, you silly girl?"

"I don't really know if I'm going to kill you," she admitted. "I talk the talk but I don't always walk the walk, you know. And-and that would be my doing. Not you leaving on your own...I couldn't stand seeing someone else leave me like that." She broke down in tears. She covered her face with her hands, trying to stifle them but it did no good. They poured and poured, wetting her cheeks, making her look like a mess.

He sighed and stepped towards her, putting an arm around her thin shoulders, drawing her firmly close. "This won't be forever. There's gotta be a way. I'll help you. Don't cry, all right?"

She cried into his chest, body shaking, letting out years of sadness and hurt. In a way he felt the burden shift to his shoulders. He closed his eyes and tried not to think of this too hard.

"I don't want to be a bad person." She looked up at him, eyes shining bright; those strange, strange colored eyes. Dual-colored, one red as sin and the other blue as the sky. He didn't want to think of it as a reflection of her spirit or anything. Such would be convenient...and easy.

"You're not. You're just flawed..."

She shook her head. "No. I've been so horrible all my life. I've been doing such...things to so many people. Dealing death wherever I go." A chilly shiver ran through her body. She shook him off and turned away, drying the tears from her eyes. "I am what I am."

"You are what you make yourself."

"Some people aren't meant to be good."

"That's a pile of crap."

"No. You don't understand. I'm not." She looked him straight in the eyes, traces of tears the only testament of any of the emotion she had earlier released. "Even now I could be manipulating you…making you think I regret what I don't actually give a damn about." She smiled. "Wouldn't that be funny?"

"Are you?"

"I could! Are you getting wrapped up in me? Could you say goodbye to me if you had to? No? Then, yes. Yes, I am manipulating you." She turned her back to him. "Because I am _that _kind of person."

A clatter to the floor; the vial dropped from her hand and rolled to his feet. He stared at it numbly before bending to pick it up. "I've never seen someone complicate attraction like you do."

When he bent back up, he realized he spoke to no one, for she had already left.

* * *

The rest of the party went by in a blur for him.

Soon the night time period came and, lying down in bed, blankets tucked around his body, he struggled on the line between being awake and asleep. It was hard to be either when thoughts constantly accosted his mind, when he simply could not relax. Perhaps sleep came for him at last...

* * *

A dim bedroom he had never been in before that felt strangely as if no one had ever lived there even though there was no signs of dust or age. It simply had a sterile, hazy, undefined feeling. At the edges of his vision he swore he could see the thing coming apart, but when he looked straight on it seemed perfectly normal.

There she was. Looking darker than usual, more feral and dangerous, a gleam in her expressionless eyes he had only seen hints of before. Was this her spirit raw and unfiltered? He hoped not. Oh god, he hoped not. A light, filmy nightgown covered her thin frame, her smile a soft mockery of every smile he had ever seen as she slowly came towards him. Pressing against him, she gazed into his eyes.

"Hello, Michael. Fancy meeting here." She slipped her fingers between his, still smiling.

She set her face into the crook of his neck, her hot breath fanning against his skin, as she whispered frightening things.

"I will take you over until there is nothing left." She held the bottom of his chin lightly with her finger. "You will forget yourself, my love."

She moved her face so that he could stare into her eyes. They were strangely blank, oddly dim as if he was looking into the eyes of a doll. Even as her face approached his, her eyes were wide open, and he couldn't help but be disturbed. "You _love _me," she hissed.

This was not love, but obsession and need. He broke the embrace and stood away from her, snatching a hand mirror from the nearby nightstand.

"Look at yourself! You don't want to be like this!" He held the mirror up tightly in his hands defensively, showing her the image of herself.

"Like what? I don't understand. I am what I am." She stared into the mirror. "Why should I be ashamed?"

This wasn't Ashe. This was some illusion, some conjuration created in a dream. He sighed, setting the mirror down. The Ashe he knew was eaten with shame and guilt. This woman was calm even in the face of her own wretchedness. A dream could never capture all the complicatons and subtleties of the reality. It could only reflect a faulty, dim image.

Was Wonderland a dream? he wondered briefly. Was all this a dream? God, no. It was too complicated.

The dream broke. Around him the pieces of the bedroom fell into a void below, and the illusion of Ashe vanished, a whisp in the darkness.

Nightmare floated in the newly-created void, his one visible silver eye watching Michael curiously.

"What the _hell _was that?" Michael said.

"A construction of your own imagination, of course."

"You control people's dreams here, don't you? What type of sick joke is this? Is it funny to play her against me like that?"

"I don't control everyone's dreams like some sort of tyrant," he said indignantly. "Sometimes I allow your own mind to show you what it thinks you need to see...and what you saw was the girl who you're obsessed without the white-washing you do when you're awake."

"That wasn't anything like her! That was a caricature!"

"Really? That's how you know she is...and refuse to see."

"No, I see it. I also see the positive qualities in her. A person is more than a sum of their issues and problems."

Nightmare shook his head, clucking his tongue sympathetically. "I don't see this ending well. But it's your business. She's outside my realm of knowledge...being a non-entity in this Game and all. But you are very much a part of this Game. Funny how you are drawn to the emptiest girl of them all."

"How dramatic." Michael was losing his patience.

"I do try so hard! It's my realm, after all. You can simply leave if you don't like it."

"Fine. I think I'll wake up now."

With one last look at Nightmare's smile, Michael found himself awake in his bed, his eyes open to the darkness around him.

He buried his head in his pillow, too afraid to go back asleep, but exhausted. Was this to be his fate in this strange world? To take the burdens of one who could not or would not save herself?

There was one fact: he was not going to stay here. Ever.


	26. Prison Dreams

I'm going to finish this. *determined face* I dun care who's reading or not. It's going to be finished, and when it's finished I shall eat cake.

Also, Julius makes an appearance. Yes, he's meant to be even more cranky in the future than he was in the past. Time has not been kind to him.

Also, it's come to my attention that people are actually reading (surprise?) but not reviewing. I'd appreciate that if you read that you review. I don't really care that much, but it'd be nice.

* * *

The dream Michael had last night had been disconcerting enough, but the vague feeling that the worst was yet to come was making him feel sick inside. He didn't really know what it was, but events seemed to be building up in front of him in an inevitable, frightening way.

He wasn't going to be passive. He would find out what was happening.

Standing from his bed, throwing the sheets aside, he left his small bedroom in Hatter mansion.

Bryon caught him coming down the hall. A smile was plastered on his face. "You look pretty determined. Wonder what trouble you're going to go get into."

"Question," he said. "Is there anyone who knows you and Ashe very well."

"Joker," he said without pause.

"Um." Michael had no interest in talking to that guy. He scared the hell out of him. "Anyone else?"

"Huh. Why do you ask?" Even though he still wore a smile, his eyes were narrowed dangerously. "Digging into things that are probably best left alone, are you?"

"Just tell me," he said, ignoring the look Bryon was giving him.

"Try Julius. He knows us better than he wishes he did."

Before Bryon could finish his sentence, Michael had already begun scurrying away without so much as a goodbye, leaving the other behind to shake his head.

* * *

The Clover Tower was a tall, magnificent building with spires that swept swirling clouds and a white façade that shown in the sun. His breath was caught. In all honesty, he hadn't left the Hatter Mansion very often. This was his first time actually seeing this place.

Entering through the large front door, he had to stop a faceless employee to find out where Julius's office was.

When she saw Michael, she almost looked sympathetic.

"Oh…you're the foreigner…"

"Yes," he said.

"Um, I hope you're doing all right."

"I'm doing fine." His voice was impatient.

She gave him a final look of sympathy before he ran off, following the instructions she gave him.

Apparently Julius didn't technically live in Clover tower. His home was only connected through some sort of portal. Still, it could be reached just like any other room, for which he was thankful.

The door creaked as he opened it into a drab looking office. Little light shown in. The curtains had been drawn over the window.

At a desk in the middle of it all sat the clockmaker himself.

He didn't even raise his face when Michael entered.

"Ah, Julius…" His voice was weak.

"What do you want?" Irritation marked his voice.

Michael tried to compose himself. "I came here to ask you some questions."

"I don't answer questions, so you can leave. The door's right there."

"But I really need them answered!" He made his way towards the desk, placing his hands on it. "Please!"

"Get your hands off my desk."

"Mr. Julius! This could be a life-or-death situation if I don't figure it out."

With a sigh, Julius set down the clock he worked on, and for the first time since he entered he looked up at the foreigner. "And you think I can help you? I have work. Why are you bothering me?"

"I was told that you knew something about a problem I'm having."

"Why would I know anything about your problems?"

"It's Ashe."

Silence.

Heavy silence.

Julius narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses, the dim light shining on them, before he said, "Get over her."

"She needs help," Michael said.

"Don't be stupid. It's a trap."

"I think she's just in a bad situation. If I could just get her away from Joker's influence."

"Whatever semblance to 'goodness' was corrupted long ago. It's useless to try. They practically raised her. You think you can come in and change anything?" He snorted. "That's just what they want you to think."

"She couldn't have always been like this."

"Does it matter? She's been like it long enough."

"You've seen her grow up, right? When did this start?"

"You're bothering me."

"Why did it start?" Michael's voice was insistent.

"I'm not her therapist. How should I know? She's an insignificant afterthought. Now leave."

"Look, you've got to tell me. You're the only person who would know."

With a heavy sigh, the clockmaker cleaned his glasses. "You are aware of why Joker uses her, correct?"

"Yes. She's outside the rules. She told me she led men to Prison by confusing and corrupting them."

"Are you serious? She even _told _you, and you still won't leave her alone?"

Michael bit his lip, not answering.

Julius sighed again. "You're destined for the Prison. There's no hope for you."

"I just thought there might be hope for her…"

"Many have thought that. I've seen this over and over again, foreigner. It always ends the same. I've watched her grow up into one of the most despicable people I've ever seen."

"Did you know her mother?"

His look became sharp. "Get out."

"Did you know Alice? I need to know. Who was Alice?"

Julius's expression was pained. "I'm not here to answer your questions, so leave."

"You were one of the people who was closest to Alice! You have to know something."

"Alice was a wonderful person." His voice was tight. "She was a beautiful, wonderful person that everyone loved. I'll regret her fate for the rest of my life."

"Her fate?"

Julius glared up at him. "She died in Prison. She had children with that bastard, and she died in Prison."

Michael didn't know what to say.

"Ashe is empty. She's only barely related to her mother." He took the clock back up in his hands and began to fiddle with it, digging a thin needle deep inside it, repairing its intricate parts.

"Thank you." Michael turned and left.

* * *

There was one more destination for Michael.

The Circus. He didn't particularly want to go, but it was the one place he needed to. Had to. There was no real choice if he wanted to solve this mystery.

Michael loved to solve mysteries.

Making his way between the bright colored tents, faceless people passing him by, he came across one small tent on the edge of the Circus.

Ashe's.

He softly called in.

"Come in," she answered.

Entering, he saw her at her vanity, wearing a bright leotard and brushing her hair. She seemed more comfortable in Circus clothes than normal clothing.

"How are you?" he said.

She shrugged. "I'm alive, I guess."

"I talked to Julius."

She squinted her eyes, frowning. "Really?"

"He didn't really have anything helpful to say. I'm trying to figure you out. I'm trying to help you."

"You can't help me." A laugh escaped her throat, strangled, twisted. "I don't really have a heart…or a clock…or anything, Michael. Has that not been made clear? I'm an empty girl doing empty things. There's nothing to help." She stared blankly into the distance.

Julius had echoed the sentiment.

"You don't have to be. You make yourself that way," Michael said.

She shook her head, her mouth twisted in a tight, ironic smile. "No."

A moment of silence followed. "So you talked to Julius? What'd he say? That I was the most horrible little minx to ever live? That I'm an awful, awful person? It's all true, I guess. But I always wished Julius thought a little better of me."

"He said you were empty. They all say you're empty." He gave her a hard look. "But I don't think you are."

"You're foolish."

"I don't even think you're a particularly bad person."

"Then you'll pay for it when the time comes." She laughed. "But do you really want to save me?" She eyed him, something predatory in her look. The hunt, the kill, this was her frightening element. "Then why not stay here, my love?"

Michael brushed her off. "Do you remember your mother?"

"What?"

"Do you remember Alice?"

Ashe looked away quickly, her expression pained. "People say she was a fantastic, wonderful, beautiful woman who everyone loved, and I'm just a horrible, awful, evil bitch everyone hates. Why? Did Julius bring it up?" Her voice was defensive. "Is he still blaming me for what happened? Because I didn't have a damn thing to do with it. I watched my mother's spirit crumble in that Prison. And she was my _mother _despite what anyone says. I loved her. But if Julius wants to continue being a bitter bastard then more power to him, I guess." She looked tired. "He can continue resenting me forever. I don't care." Something in her voice revealed that she did, indeed, care. Very much so.

"So you can feel guilt!" Michael pounced on this.

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't lock you up in the Prison," she said. "I would feel guilty about it, but I'd still do it."

"Why haven't you done it?" Michael said. "What are you waiting for?"

"The right moment." As quick as lightning, she was at his side, a gun pointed at his temple. Cold metal touched his skin, sweat dripping from his brow. Her tall, thin figure loomed over him, casting her dark shadow.

"You should have known. This is who I am," she said. "I hate every second I do it, but I have to do it."

He closed his eyes and breathed in.

Somehow he had been expecting this.

"I can't save you this time. I've come to a realization: this is my role. For so long I complained that I had no purpose. But I do have purpose." Her eyes were hard, but he thought he could see them shining with tears. "This is it."

The gun set to his head, he had nothing to say. He should have known it was coming. After all, this was coming for so long. The pieces had been set. He had been warned.

He was just stupid.

His heart raced wildly in his chest like a caged animal. She forced him out the tent, gun still pressed against his head, her hand on his shoulder leading him where she wanted.

"I'm sorry," he heard her whisper, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter how sorry she was.

The faceless carefully avoided looking at them, but he could catch looks of pity and sympathy in their expressions every so often.

His legs felt weak, as if they would give out under him at any moment.

"I'm sorry." the words were whispered from her lips over and over.

"You're the Queen of mixed messages," he said bitterly.

This silenced her.

They reached the main tent, the biggest of them all, and entered together.

Joker was there, leading a group of performers in practice.

All eyes turned curiously towards her.

"Here's your foreigner," she said, grabbing him by his hair with one hand, the other still holding the weapon poised.

Joker smiled. "I knew you would come through for me."

Her gaze dropped.

"Goodbye, _love_," she hissed and pushed Michael forward to the floor. The emphasis on the word "love" felt like a stab through the heart.

When he looked back she was gone. Forward, there was the Joker, leaning over him. The Circus disappeared, its bright colors blurring into the dim dreariness of the Prison. What had formerly been faceless performers were now shackled prisoners wearing costumes that made them look like toys and stuffed animals.

It was sick.

"Welcome," White said, smiling, gripping his whip in his hand.

* * *

Ashe sat on a spare crate in the Prison, her back against the rough, brick wall.

Black and White Joker were before her.

"You did a very good job," White said, his soft smile a contrast to the world around him. "We haven't had a foreigner here since Alice. Maybe this one will last longer."

"Isn't it nice?" she began. "You got to keep Alice forever and ever, Joker. Just like you wanted." Her mouth contorted, her eyes drooping, making her look bored and frustrated. "Except you didn't because she died, which is really the worst of it, isn't it? Did you love my mother? Is that why you wanted to keep her forever and ever?" Accusation marked her voice. "Is that why you want to keep _me_ forever and ever? But I'm not my mother. I'm _nothing_ like Alice."

White laughed. "You've made that far too clear. You've done things Alice would never do. You've betrayed Michael's love. That's why you're a very useful girl. Alice would go to Prison before she betrayed anyone. Alice _did _go to Prison to not betray her love." He patted her gently on the head. She somehow felt like a dog.

"I guess I am useful." Her voice was low. She didn't like the feelings swirling in her stomach, guilt and sadness mixing together, but this was what she was supposed to do, right? "Will you ever free me?"

"Maybe," said White.

"Just do your job," Black's shadowed figure leaned against the wall. "You were close to betraying us, and you've often been more trouble than of use."

She crossed her legs casually. "So which one of you loved Alice more?"

This comment drew glances from both of them. She smiled and cocked her head.

"Oh, shut up," Black said.

"She is a little too talkative," said the lighter of the two.

She laughed bitterly and looked at the floor.

* * *

Michael sat in his cell, not knowing what to do. Thoughts of what he could have done differently swirled in his head.

It didn't change anything. This was the result. The horrible, awful result of everything.

Perhaps this was what fate wanted of him. The thought made him shiver.

A figure approached his bars. He only spared them a quick glance to know who it was.

"You didn't have to do this," he said to Ashe.

"But think of it like this," she whispered through the bars, reaching her hand between them to touch his shoulder. He shuddered and retreated from her. "We'll be able to be together until you die. Together until death does us part."

"Shut up," he said.

"Oh. _Now _you don't have patience for me. Isn't it a little late for that?"

He didn't answer. He stared at the dark, shadowed all across his cell.

"You really did make me question myself too much. I'm a simple creature." She leaned her cheek against the bar, strange gaze on his profile. "I don't want to think."

He glared at her. "I could have helped you."

"You can't help me. I'm just Joker's dog."

"You're not a dog."

"I follow my master's every command."

"Are you even happy?" His voice was hard, angry, but it was a serious question.

"I'm never happy."

She left him there, fading into the shadows beyond his cell.

He was cold, and he was alone.


	27. Confrontation among Roses

Will…finish…story…gah. FINISH FINISH FINISH.

I forgot I needed to include Ace somewhere. God, he's probably horribly OOC. Why so hard to write, Ace? DX

I have to credit other smarter, more intelligent and creative people for the ideas here. Thanks go to InknEcho (for her insight into Ace's personality) and ObsessionIsOdd. You are beautiful people! Everything who reads this is a beautiful person. Seriously. KEEP WRITING, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! XD

BTW, this story makes you fifty percent more beautiful if you read and review it. I can't explain. Just...READ AND REVIEW. XDD

This chapter: a lil' emo, with back-stabbings, manipulations, moral dilemmas, regrets from the pasts and Ace (whose OOC because I can't write him to save my life). We'll see how it works out. Better yet review and tell me how it worked out.

* * *

Ashe sat inside the Circus tent on a high swing, her feet dangling in the air, feeling numb, her emotions blank. The emptiness in her chest was even more obvious than before. Her long hair fell forward as she leaned, creating a curtain for her face.

She thought.

She remembered.

When she was a young girl, when the Circus wasn't in town for the April season, she had to stay at the Heart palace and work as a maid. Half the time she was intentionally creating as much trouble as she could, and her brother was having to talk Vivaldi into not beheading or throwing them out into the cold.

Vivaldi was known for cruelty, but she was not heartless. She pitied the little girl and her brother. Everyone pitied poor little Ashe and Bryon. Of course, that pity turned to hatred as they became older.

Why was Ashe so determined to cause so much trouble?

Because she hated them all?

Because she resented them.

Julius wouldn't help her, no matter how often she reached out to him. He was a distant person. Then one day she realized something: he resented her. He resented her mere existence. That was when she learned the truth: everyone resented each other. There was no real love in the world.

"That's not necessarily true," her brother tried to tell her.

She didn't believe him. He was a liar. She'd seen him tell lies without even really thinking about it. At least Ashe had regrets. Bryon regretted nothing.

She jumped down from the height of the swing, hair cascading around her, and landing in a crouch on the ground. She smiled to herself. It was a tight, mournful smile, as she swaggered out of the tent, exiting into the bright sun.

The sun hit her skin, warming her. Still, she somehow felt cold, and she shivered. She almost ran into a tall shape, but managed to stop herself.

"I'm not going to raise a fuss over what you've done," Bryon said.

"You knew I was going to do it from the beginning."

He nodded. "Of course, I even warned him."

"He's an idiot."

"But he loved you."

She shut up.

"I'm not berating you. I don't expect much better from you." He shrugged. "I'm not even going to tell Lilly."

"What could she do about it, anyway?"

He laughed. "You have no idea what she's capable of."

She moved past him, intent on avoiding any further conversation. She knew what she had done. She certainly didn't want to talk about it.

"How often can you say someone genuinely loves you?" he said to her retreating form.

He never got an answer, but neither did he expect one. He knew she heard him. As she scurried away into the distance, he knew he made his impact.

However, he had other things to do. With measured steps he walked purposefully towards his destination, carrying himself with ease, one goal in his mind.

To see his plan to completion.

* * *

She didn't know quite what led her to the Heart Castle. Ashe simply found herself there in maze garden she had been so familiar with as a child. The green bushes surrounded her, their blossoming flowers pinpricks in the sunlight, the stone pathway clicking beneath her feet.

There she found him. A man in the same red coat he had worn for years, looking lost and confused. He turned to her with a smile.

"Oh. It's you," he said, his expression not changing, the smile plastered across his face. "Mind telling me how to get out of here? I'm a little lost. This place seems to get bigger every time I go through it!"

"No."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"I said no."

"So you want me to be lost? That's not very nice." He tapped his chin.

"Oh, I might tell you." She smiled almost in defense. "If you talk to me for a moment."

He narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to do here?"

"I'm trying to get some issues resolved that probably should have been resolved a long time ago. Or maybe I'm just trying to distract you so I can stab you in the gut."

He laughed. "That's right. You can't take me on in a fair fight, can you? That would be pretty sneaky of you, but I would probably be able to fight you off, because you're pretty weak no matter what you do."

She nervously looked away. "I'm not weak."

"Really? I'd say so. You can't beat me, after all."

"I'm not!"

"You like picking on people weaker than you, though, right? Maybe that's why you think you're not." His red eyes narrowed, his smile turning sharp. "Like that foreigner. How is he?"

She didn't answer.

He laughed. "I already know, anyway. It doesn't matter. Did you like locking him up?"

"You did the same thing," she said quietly.

"Still bitter about that?" His smile was strained.

"I bet you enjoyed throwing her away in that Prison," she said. "I bet _you_ liked watching her rot all alone."

He blinked. "You're really still angry about that?"

"What do you mean still angry about that! ? I'll be angry about it for the rest of my life! I'll never stop being angry." She clenched her teeth. "It ruined me."

"Really? I thought all the other stuff ruined you. You can't go blaming me for everything for the rest of your life. Oh, well, you can, but why? I guess lot's of girls blame their daddies for stuff. Daddy issues?" He shrugged and laughed.

She wrung her hands. Talking to him made her feel like a child again. She hated the feeling of not having control.

"What did Joker tell you?" His question was sudden. He leaned casually against a fence that barely kept the trimmed hedges in line.

"Alice died," She looked off distantly, not wanting to remember.

"Oh? That's all?"

"She died in Prison of a broken spirit and heart."

"I killed her."

"_What?"_

"You should know. Sometimes you don't have a choice. You have to save people. You love them, so you kill them to save them. You've done it before, haven't you?" He almost looked innocent, watching her with that smile.

Her mouth hung open like it was broken, her eyes wide and round as marbles.

"That was my mother."

His face took on an oddly serious expression. "She was more important to me than she ever was to you."

"Liar."

"I don't like people calling me a liar." He had a half-smile on, but there were dangerous hints to his look.

"Liar! She meant nothing to you! Nothing means anything to you. Why didn't you help me! ?" She was screaming now. "You could have helped me! You could have saved me!"

"If I'm part of this Game, why shouldn't you be a part of it? It's not fair that you get a free pass out of it."

Technically, she wasn't a part of the Game. She had been born totally outside of it with no role. Was tying her to Joker his way of insuring she suffered the same as he did? The bastard!

Her face showed a mixture of emotions. She felt betrayed, confused. She felt raw, like her adult façade she had carefully created had been chipped away and all that was left was the frightened little girl she had been so many years ago.

She hated that little girl, but that was who she was. She would always be that little girl deep inside. That little girl who watched her mother slowly fade away behind Prison bars.

"It's funny. When you make that face you look just like her!" He watched her curiously. "But you're not. You're just a cheap imitation. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell the difference though."

"I wish people wouldn't compare me to her. I was never meant to be her. She's just a dead woman."

Silence.

A subject that hadn't been broached for years was being brought up between the two.

He began to speak. "Alice really loved you guys. I don't know why…she just did. She loved you guys so much. I think she loved you more than she loved me." He approached her slowly, looking into her face. "She wanted you guys to be free and happy, even if it meant locking herself up in Prison. But I wanted freedom, and Joker wouldn't leave either Alice or me alone unless we gave you guys up. But she wouldn't do that. She didn't _want _to do that."

She stared, tears falling freely from eyes that couldn't focus, her back to the wall of the tall fence that made up the maze, the cold concrete transmitting through her clothing.

"She loved you more than me. She always did."

"Because I was her daughter! That's the way it's supposed to be." She found herself pushing against the fence more to get away.

"She locked herself up, gave herself to Joker on the condition that he leave you guys alone. But it destroyed her. Being in that Prison…destroyed her." There was genuine sadness in her eyes. "So I did what I had to do." A smile, a tight, ironic quirk of his lips, contorted his face. "And without her…well, there wasn't much use in keeping you guys around?"

"You gave us to Joker in exchange for your freedom," she said in monotone, her voice dry. She already knew this.

"You took Alice away from me." His gloved hands rested on her neck. She felt pressure transmitted, her airway slowly restricted. Chocking, she threw a hand behind her back and drew a hidden knife, pointing the blade at his throat. It shined between them in the light of the day's sun.

Looking unconcerned, he let her go and stepped back.

She fell forward.

"You wouldn't be the first to try to choke me," she said, glaring as she held her soar neck, crouching on the ground as he stood over her. "You don't think I wouldn't know how to deal with it by now?"

He looked amused. "So you're playing assassin now?"

"I am an assassin. I'm-I'm an assassin!" She had to convince herself of this. What was she otherwise? "Does it hurt you to know that you're our father?" she prodded. "Does it hurt? I hope it does. You're responsible for me and everything I am."

Eyebrow raised, he looked down on her. "Hmm…blaming me for your troubles?" He laughed.

"I really hate you…" she whispered, still crouching, her face tilted towards the ground. "I don't know what I thought I was going to gain from this."

He watched her as she stood.

"I'm going to send you and Joker to hell together. I'm going to make this damned place burn." Her face was dark, eyes narrowed. "It will all burn when I'm done with it. Nobody will control me. I will no longer have masters. I will no longer have to deal with you tormenting my past. Because I will send you to hell."

"Hey, is that a threat?"

"One day you'll show weakness," she said quietly. "And I'll be there. And I will take you down and I will free you from the Game just like you always wanted. Cross me? Never again. _Never again_."

"You're a creepy little girl." He looked bored and uninterested in her threats.

She continued on anyway, if for no other person but herself. "I am not you. I am not Alice. I used to think I was only as strong as the master's who held my leash, but that won't be the case anymore." Tears were in her eyes. "I'm going to free Michael, if for no other reason to not be like you."

"It won't make you happy," he said to her as she began to walk away.

"Of course." She smiled. "I won't be happy until _you're screaming."_

And she left. She left quickly as she could and never wondered why he didn't immediately kill her for her comments. She wasn't nearly as strong as him, after all, for all her bombast.

She knew her limits, and she knew she would need help. She made her way to Hatter mansion, hoping that Lilly would be willing to put aside their differences for Michael.

She knew she had really screwed things up.

_What's wrong with me?_


	28. Dying Day

For those who want me to update my other fics, that will come soon, I promise. I'm simply more inspired towards this.

Exagie's story _Letters_ had a funeral scene that inspired the one in this one. I think it might sort of contradict something I said in chapter one, but nobody's reading this anyway. XDD

I keep saying I'll end this damn thing but it keeps getting longer and longer. I swear, this is the last arc, though. It will end…one day…soon…maybe…dammit.

In all seriousness, there are only about 3 or 4 chapters left in this, maybe less.

* * *

Alice had a funeral.

There was no body. There were feelings, emotions, tears. Most didn't even believe she was dead. It was a joke.

A little boy and girl sat in the corner of the large chapel, eyeing the empty, symbolic casket, and knowing the truth. They knew what happened to Alice. They knew how she died. Where she died. When. How. Not why. They would never know why. The act seemed senseless and horrible.

To everyone else they seemed to be odd-eyed children Joker allowed to scamper on the edges of the crowd so long as they didn't bother anyone or anything. They were told to stay quiet and say nothing, and especially to not reveal anything.

"We should tell them all," the girl whispered thickly, bitter tears in her eyes. She had been crying for hours. "I want to scream it."

"It'd cause a lot more trouble than it's worth. He'd probably kill us," her brother tried to explain softly to pacify her. He rested his hand on her shoulder, but she brushed him off, moving away so she could be alone in the light.

Her lip became a thin line, her little shoulders shaking in her colorful Circus dress. The lace frilled around the stockings of her legs, shaking as she moved.

People passed them towards the coffin. They were blurs through the little girl's tears, but she could make out the shapes of a few. The Roleholders. Those bastards.

Only one was not at the mockery of a funeral put on only because the Roleholders thought it was their duty to the missing Alice. His absence was not missed by the little girl. She shook her blonde ringlets, feeling sadness in the emptiness of her chest. She hated that man above them all. He made her hate and fear the color red. Every time she saw his tattered coat she felt sick.

Peter was inconsolable, screaming about his beautiful Alice. He already feared the worst, and when he made his way to the coffin, he was in a murderous mood, intent on protecting it. Anyone who came near he threatened to shoot.

Whispers.

"Is she really dead?"

"Of course not," Vivaldi said, throwing her head back. She was dressed contrary to the somber event, as if she could pretend the horrible thing wasn't true by wearing bright purples and reds rather than darkness and somberness.

"Perhaps the caterpillar knows what happened?" Blood said, eyeing Nightmare. "Perhaps she went back home?"

Nightmare only shook his head, his expression troubled.

They wanted to know where Alice was?

She would tell them.

She would scream it!

Damn her brother.

With quick steps of her short legs she made her way to the group of Roleholders chatting away, trying to decide whether Alice was dead or not dead.

They didn't want to believe the truth. Somewhere they must have known the truth. Somewhere they must have felt it.

"She was murdered!" The girl's voice came out loud behind them.

Vivaldi was the first to turn, her purple gaze dismissive as she looked down on the girl. "You dare say such a thing, Circus girl?"

"I saw it! I saw him kill her!"

All of the Roleholders in the group were looking at her now, including a young Lilly, who was peering from behind Elliot. She was faceless then, but her lips were slightly pursed.

Eyebrows were raised inquisitively. The question of "who?" was asked.

"Are you stupid?" Lilly's little voice held contempt.

"I saw it! He-It was-" Before the name escaped her lips, a hand clasped over her mouth. She gurgled an incoherent noise and heard her brother's voice.

"I apologize," he said. "She's not feeling well. You know she's a little messed up, Vivaldi."

"Control your sister better," Vivaldi scolded. She knew them the best of all the adults present. "Her outbursts are not appreciated, and if Peter heard they could set him off."

Hand still clasped on her mouth, he drew her aside, away from the adults who no longer paid them attention. They were lost in their own world of speculation.

_I hate them so much, _she thought.

Tears rolled over his hand. He freed her, wiping his fingers on his shirt and shaking his head with a sigh.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

She glowered at the floor, heart simmering.

"They don't know who you are. We're nothing to him," he explained, his voice even as he said the words that made her squirm.

"I don't want to be nothing."

'It's our place." There was an unspoken 'for now' in his voice.

"Not always. I want to overturn it." She clenched her hands, looking up at him with bright eyes.

He smiled sadly, patting her on the head. "You're a firecracker, aren't you? We'll see. I don't doubt you can…and that kinda scares me. But we'll see."

The funeral would end, but the promises the boy and girl made to themselves would not.

_

* * *

_

Hatter Mansion stood tall and proud before Ashe as she entered inside. She hadn't seen Lilly since she had relinquished control of the Mafia back to Blood. How long ago had that been…? Time seemed to mash together.

"She's busy speaking to the Hatter at the moment," a maid informed her.

"Then take me to them both," she said.

"But-"

"I don't really care. You can take me or I go myself."

She ended up going to Blood's study herself. The maid wasn't brave enough to risk her life interrupting the discussions of the young Lilly and the Hatter. As she came up to the thick wooden door, she heard sounds issuing from inside of a heated argument.

"You can't do that!" she screamed. "That's going to ruin this organization!"

"You're lucky I don't kill your pony and put it's head in your bed."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Then quit yelling. You're disrupting my train of thought."

Rolling her eyes, Ashe entered without knocking, a gun drawn-just in case.

Lilly's gaze snapped towards her. Blood simply watched her enter lazily.

"What? !" said the female. "You!" She pointed and then gathered her dress in her hands, marching right up to the taller woman furiously. "I know what you did. Everyone does! Explain yourself."

"I did my job," she replied simply. "Now I'm going to undo it."

"Hmm…" Blood tapped his chin. "Everyone warned the boy. It's his fault."

"Don't be so insensitive!" Lilly said. "He was a good person! A completely average person, but a good one!"

"He was a good man," Ashe said. "But there are lots of good men, right?"

"You're not the one to talk about goodness." Lilly's mouth contorted.

"Is this the time to argue, Lilly?" Blood's voice drifted from behind them. "I'm sure she came here for some sort of transaction. Surely you can see the worth in helping her? You could get that foreigner back you value so dearly."

"Working with her for me is like you working with Nightmare." Lilly explained.

"…I see." He narrowed his eyes, his mind obviously changed.

"Don't do it for me," Ashe said. "Do it for Michael. Go ahead and shoot me in the head afterwards. I don't care. I probably deserve it, anyway."

With a searching gaze, Lilly eyed her, her coal black eyes never leaving her face. "All right," she said finally. "Fine. I'll do it."

With a smile, Ashe shook Lilly's hesitant hand.

"Then come with me," she said.

X

The Prison.

That eternally dank and dark place, it's brick and mortar walls more shadows than anything else. The cells held darkness. The light illuminated little.

There Bryon entered, a smile quirking his lips as he approached the two aspects of Joker in his place of power.

"Hey, idiot, the hell are you doing here?" Black Joker said. "We thought you left for the goddamned Mafia bitch? Or are you crawling back to us?"

"I do believe she was too much for him." White Joker's smile lit his face.

"Oh, she's too much for most men, but I can handle her." He laughed. "But that's not why I'm here, my friends."

"We're not your friends, moron." Black look disgusted.

"Sorry. Lovers?" Bryon laughed.

Black looked as if he was about to murder him on the spot.

"I joke! I joke!" He held up his hands in defense. "You see, I'm here for a very specific reason, actually."

"Oh?" White said, his eyes holding curiosity.

"You're smart guys, right?" Bryon asked.

"I am. He's not, and you're an idiot," Black was quick to say.

"I _am_ an idiot, right?" Bryon stepped forward. "I'm the biggest fool of them all. Which is why I'm going to do and succeed at what I'm about to do."

He walked forward and what he did next they could have never guessed.

* * *

I still have these plot threads: getting Michael the hell out of Prison. Handling Ashe's whole deal with Joker. Lilly's now involved in the whole affair so that's a new plot thread. Oh, and Bryon has a plan that's been building up but is a SEKRIT that I won't reveal until the next chapter. Also, someone might die. Someone might change.

Also, if this story somehow reaches a hundred reviews (it probably won't BUT IF IT DOES) then I might write something cool, like an epilogue or something. I don't know. Still need to figure that out.


	29. Broken Saviors

I'm estimating there are roughly about two more chapters left. I've figured out what I would do if I got a 100 reviews. It would be some sort of alternate ending sort of thing and/or epilogue. I don't know which one yet. Huh. Which do people prefer? We'll see when the time comes, maybe.

PROTIP: READ AND REVIEW. Gracias. XD

* * *

Bryon had to play his cards correctly. Even one misstep could result in it all crumbling around his ears. All the hours he had spent thinking this over, figuring out the pieces and setting them in their proper places.

"Where is the foreigner?" he said smoothly.

"In a cell," Black said gruffly. "Why? What do you want with him, you idiot? You want him like your whore sister?"

"My sister's not a-Oh, wait. Yes, she is." He laughed. It wasn't funny, but sometimes he laughed to keep from feeling other things. Amusement was easier than anger and sadness. This was something he had learned long ago.

"You're here for a reason, aren't you?" White said, watching him curiously, eyes slanted.

"Yes. I fear the time has come. You have been wonderful guardians. Actually, no. You've been horrible people. You've ruined both mine and Ashe's lives. You've used us and abused us. But it's over now."

Both Jokers stiffened, their hands clenching the black, twisted handles of their whips.

"What do you want?" Black said darkly.

"I want your hearts." Bryon's words came out simply. "I want your Role."

Deathly, screeching silence followed. The men stared each other down, shadows playing on the walls in the flickering light. Faint light dripped into the cells through the bars.

"_What?" _Black clenched teeth.

Bryon grinned. "You heard what I said, gentlemen. Your hearts are mine. I will assimilate them into my empty chest. I figured out how. And then I will have a Role."

"You want to be the new Joker?" White's voice was probing. This was interesting to him. Infuriating, but interesting.

"Whatever it takes to better myself."

"We'll just come back like we always do when your slutty sister kills us," Black said. "What make you think this will be different?"

"Because I'll take your hearts before that happens." Bryon stood before them, tall, smiling, his blond, shaggy hair falling into his face.

Black's made a jerky motion forward, cracking his whip on the floor. "YOU SON OF A-"

"Why thank you! My father _was_ a bastard!" The young man said, and before either of them could retort, the flash of metal appeared in his hand as he drew a gun quicker than anyone knew he could draw one. "Everyone thinks I'm a pacifist, don't they?" He grinned wickedly. "Or maybe that's just what I wanted you to think until this one moment, my friends!"

One against two, but one had a gun and the other two had whips. The glowering expressions sent in the direction of the blond-haired young man were hateful, but the young man's smile shined.

"So this is how ends," Bryon whispered low, lips still quirked in that mocking expression.

"It ends for you. I goddamned guarantee it." Black's gaze never wavered.

It would be the end of someone, surely.

* * *

The two women came into the Circus to find it a silent place. Its faded colors seemed a mockery, the tents gently waving in the wind. Papers, flyers, litter rolled across the ground at their feet, but there were no people, making the whole thing feel empty.

A blue sky hung over them, but their moods were more suited for a stormy day. They said nothing to each other. Their silence only went to accentuate the quiet that threatened to swallow the entire Circus whole.

That was until Lilly spoke up. "How does one get to the Prison?"

"If you're in the Circus, then you're already there," Ashe said. "It's always here. But don't worry yourself over it. I can get us to Michael. Getting out is going to be the hard part."

Lilly's small red lips pursed. To hide her nervousness, her shaking hand waved air on her face with her fan.

Ashe looked pale, defeated and small, but she trudged onward, and as they went forward the spinning colors of the silent Circus morphed into something entirely different…

And then they were in the grayness of the Prison. It was a silent place like the other. Glancing around, she didn't see anyone.

Being back at the Prison always gave Ashe a sinking feeling in her stomach. She felt as if she was shrinking, devolving back into a little, weak girl. Everything she had to deal with through the years stemmed from this one place. She swore that a cell here must have contained all her sadness and anger and frustration with life.

But she had to continue. For Michael.

They continued forward. Lilly jumped at every sound, even at the echo of their own footsteps.

The silence of the Prison bespoke of a thousand suffering cries of a thousand prisoners squelched. Most prisoners were now beyond crying, beyond tears. They were broken into nothing.

It was a process Ashe knew very well. She closed her eyes. She'd seen it many times after living here for so long.

A haunting thought of her mother ghosted into her mind like a phantom appearing.

Ashe stopped suddenly, one hand on the wall, the other laced in her hair and there she leaned. Her breath came out heavily. She felt like crying or screaming. She didn't know what. She hated the world. She hated them all.

Why the hell was she going through all this trouble for this stupid boy?

Because she loved him?

No, she toyed with him. She was obsessed, but it wasn't love.

Because he was interesting?

No, he was new, and the only person who had ever been nice to her.

Because she didn't want to be like her father?

Yes, that was it.

A small, thin hand rested on her back. "We have things we need to do. Are you going to break down now?" Her voice wasn't harsh, but she was right. Things needed to be done.

Ashe nodded, smiling. "Yeah, got it. Gimme a second."

With another breath, she pushed off the wall, and walked in step beside Lilly again.

* * *

They went on like this for a few minutes before both stopped, breaths caught in their throats.

Both the Jokers were there, their backs towards the girls. There was a dark figure before them, a gun in his hand. It wasn't until Ashe squinted that she realized that it was…

Bryon!

That bastard! What was he doing? Her mind couldn't fathom why he was pointing a gun at anyone. He never used weapons. He claimed to detest them. He always told everyone he was a horrible shot and would only use one when absolutely necessary. Then what was he doing with one now?

Was he trying to save Michael? Was he _trying _to get himself killed?

Her first reaction was to cry out his name, but that would be folly, she quickly reasoned. This could be a distraction….

But what if Bryon really got hurt?

Lilly could defend him!

"Lilly?" She whispered harshly. "I'm going to slink off to Michael. Give no indication I was here. Help Bryon. They'll tear him apart otherwise.

The small woman nodded as Ashe did just as she said, sneaking off into the shadows against the wall silently, her presence near-impossible to detect.

Ahead Lilly could just barely make out the dialogue being made out between the men, but nothing specific. Morphing the delicate shape of her fan into a shotgun, she cocked it and set it against her shoulder, traveling towards them.

"This is the end of you. I goddamned guarantee it," she heard one of the Jokers say.

A shotgun blast roared into the middle of the group. A warning shot.

Their she stood beside Bryon, aiming at the Jokers, dark eyes peering at them.

"Don't think we'll hesitate to f****** kill you, too," came the voice of Black. "We don't care who your daddy is."

She scowled. "That's good, because I don't care who my daddy is either."

"Young woman, before you get involved in this, you should know what Bryon is actually here to do," White said.

"What?" her eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

"He's trying to steal our Role."

She turned towards Bryon so quick she almost smacked him with her gun. "I thought you were here to save Michael! ?"

He shrugged. "I would have released Michael afterwards on the condition he go back to his world and never come back."

"You bastard! I bet you were planning this all along!" She looked hurt. "We're supposed to be partners-in-crime! You're-but-What is wrong with you! ?"

"I'm empty." His words were soft. "Same thing that's wrong with Ashe."

"No! You are not going to angst over that! You don't have an excuse to do this!" She was screaming. "This is contrary to the Game! As a Roleholder I can't allow you to do this."

"I know…" When he turned to look at her, his eyes were gentle. "But as Lilly can you help me? Can you be something more than a Roleholder? Can you be my friend? I need you now. I need your help, Lilly."

She froze, staring at his face. "You know this is wrong!"

"I need you."

"You just want to use me"

He smiled sadly. "I only use people I love."

She bit her lip unhappily, cheeks coloring.

Laughter rose from the Jokers. White laughed with a hand over his mouth. Black Joker didn't care. He simply laughed at her as loud as he could.

"That must be the most obvious manipulation I've ever seen," White said.

"Shut up!" she barked, glaring. "And you!" She spat in Bryon's face. "How dare you!"

He winced.

"You're part of the Game, Lilly. You might as well help us. We'll release your friend if you do." White's smile curled.

"Lilly, I know I'm a manipulative bastard who uses people whenever it's convenient and-oh, I really don't have an argument here, do I?" He paused. "Look, I really need you. I need your help. We're friends, yes? Partners-in-crime? Will you help me?"

Between the Jokers and Bryon, the Game and breaking the Rules, she stood on the precipice of a decision.

* * *

Ashe found Michael's cell, but what she found inside was not Michael.

It was the shell of Michael. It was Michael breaking down.

The foreigner was sitting with his back against the wall, staring blankly at the other end. Day in and day out there was nothing. The nothingness of the Prison gathered in his head and drove him mad.

She came to the cell bars, looked in, the light illuminating her from the back, making her look like the brightest thing about the place, but her heart made her the darkest.

"M-michael?"Her voice shook.

His eyes gleamed as he looked up, and she could clearly make out how red and puffy the whites were. He said nothing, only stared, accusation marking his features.

"I shouldn't have done this," she said.

Again, he only stared.

She rested her forehead against the bars, hands gripping the cold, hard metal in her hands. "I should have let you go home. I just wanted you all to myself because you were so nice to me. I'm sorry, Michael."

After a period of saying nothing, he finally spoke up, his dark, thick voice shaking with anger. "I've been sitting here thinking of all the things I regret, Ashe. I've been running them through my head. And you know what I regret? Regret above all? _Trying to help you_. I was wrong. You're just a whore. You're a traitor and a whore." He winced, trying to shake tears out of his eyes. "It hurts to say it, because it makes me look like a fool for trying to help you. After all, everyone told me so. Even your damned brother."

"I'm here to save you."

"What difference does it make? You can't do wrong all the time and expect that doing right every once in a while fixes everything."

She stood up, looking like she was about to cry.

"You don't want to be your father, right?" Michael said.

She simply watched him blearily.

"Well," he continued. "That's too bad because you're just like him."

She threw herself against the bars and hissed. "I could end it all right here and now, Michael. I could end your sorry life. Keep saying those things to me. Keep saying I'm like my father. Because _I swear _I can and will wholly destroy you if you don't shut the hell up and let me save you. Or are you ready to give up?"

He looked up at her, the dim light of hope coming back into his heart.

Perhaps everything wasn't dead in him.

He laughed.

"You're still threatening me?" he said. "Oh God, I'd miss that. I'm probably a masochist with issues and you're a sadist with issues."

With a laugh of her own, she said. "That's better. I'll get you out of here, Michael. I promise." She reached her hand through the bars and touched his. "And, you know, in a funny way I think we could work."

"I'm getting a divorce if you lock me up again."

"Dearest, you won't have to worry about a divorce. I'll just poison your coffee. I'm an expert at masking the taste of poison." Her grin was sharp. "I can make even Gray's food palpable."

Something was wrong with him. He knew something was wrong with him, because he would miss this crazy woman if she was gone.


	30. Gunshots

My ability to write action scenes is a pitiful, pitiful thing. Whatever. Next chapter. Enjoy, read and review, please. :D

* * *

"You think I care for moral dilemmas?" Lilly's eyebrows lowered into a tight v-shape, her mouth pursed. "Bryon, I'll shoot you in the face for being annoying and not telling me about this crazy plan. And, Joker or Jokers…_whatever, _I'll shoot you bastards just because this bullet needs somewhere to go."

Bryon held up his hands. "You're a woman after my heart!"

"No, I'm a woman after your head!" Glaring, she poked his chest. "You got us into this. I would be helping Ashe-um." She stopped, warily looking at the two Jokers, one of which, White, was smiling.

"We know she's here," White said. "We even know why she's here. We know all that goes on here. What she doesn't understand is that no matter how many times she runs she will always come back. She's just a dog that bends to the will of whatever master holds her leash, after all. It's merely a fact about the girl. And dogs almost always return."

"_Almost _always," Bryon repeated. "If you think that's all my sister is then you're in for quite a shock, friends. There's more to her than you can imagine."

"Whatever. In my eyes you're _all_ breaking the Rules of the Game. Joker," she announced the name with venom in her voice. "You overstep your Role and need to be brought to justice by a hole to the head."

Black snorted. "What does she think she's going to do?"

"Are you going to release Michael?" She said, leveling her gun. "Because I have an explosive response if you don't."

"Does this mean you're on my side?" Bryon asked.

"Go to hell," she said. "I'm going to deal with you in a second. Now get over here, two-point-five, and redeem yourself."

"Such a taskmaster…" Grinning, Bryon shrugged and stepped towards her side.

"I don't think she quite understands what she's getting involved in," White said distantly, tapping his chin and staring at his darker half. "I don't much like fighting little girls, though."

Those words got Lilly. She hated being underestimated. Yes, she was a woman, and a small one at that, but she had a gun so who could argue?

"I'll strangle you with your own whips!" She screamed, face reddening from anger.

Bryon watched as she took heavy steps forward.

And then…

_Bam!_

A gun-sound filled the air. A fist-sized pit was left in the floor where her explosive bullet hit.

Her targets, the Jokers, had managed to easily evade it, jumping to left and right respectively.

"You should aim better," White said, gently taunting her.

"Or maybe I'll just shoot until you're dead," she replied. "You're just targets to me. Annoying targets."

A strange and peculiar battle followed. With every slow, powerful shot of her gun, the Jokers evaded, hurling taunts in her direction.

"If this continues, you're better off just beating them with the gun itself," Bryon said quietly. He had been forgotten in the chaos. Gunshots rent the air, sounding like lighting bolts striking the ground, swallowing his words. He easily slouched into the heavy shadows, watching.

Waiting.

He and his sister had always been very good at not being seen, at being forgotten. It was a skill they had to learn to avoid not being noticed. It was when Joker noticed them that there were problems.

He held his small, rarely-used gun in his hand. It wasn't powerful, but it was accurate. It would get the job done.

All he needed was an opening.

* * *

"Dammit!" she examined the lock on his cell. "I've never run into a lock I couldn't pick."

He buried his head in his hands and sighed. "Now would be the time, wouldn't it?"

She beat the door, kicking it in anger and threw herself against the cell door to rest. "I didn't really think about this part. I was so intent on getting to you."

"It's all right. I've already been here for a while. What's a little longer?"

The conversation came to a pause, the only thing audible being ringing of their ears and their slow breaths.

Finally, she spoke up, her voice distant. "I just wanted you to know, I'd save you. I'd save you every time. Even when I hurt you, I'd save you." She turned to gaze into the cell, her pale face a round oval in the dark between the bars, her eyes penetrating. "When you were so nice to me…I knew you loved me. I knew it." She broke down. "Nobody's nice to me. It's always 'Watch out! She's a dark girl! Evil girl!' No one can stand me. Even Bryon. But you didn't. You didn't." Her voice rambled. "You give a damn. That's all I wanted was someone who cared if I lived or died…because sometimes I felt like I was living my life without really living it."

He came up to the bars of the cell, eyes gazing into hers. "I do care. I wouldn't go through everything I've gone through if I didn't care. It'd be a lot easier to just throw my hands up and go 'Oh! She's crazy!' But that's not entirely true and we both know it. And I do love you."

Hearing the words from his mouth…

For the first time in her entire adult life, a faint, pink blush rose on her cheeks before she broke down, falling down against the bars. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's not a big deal. Just get me out of here."

A loud, explosive noise broke their words apart. Michael jumped.

"What the hell? !" he cried.

"Lilly…" She stood, drawing twin pistols into each hand, eyes slanting into a devilish expression. "If I can't get you out, then I'll beat them until they let you go. That sounds fun, right?" She laughed.

* * *

One misstep. One moment when they weren't as perceptive as usual.

His chance came.

A particularly loud shotgun blast sent Black Joker reeling backwards just for a split second of a moment, but it was all Bryon needed. The man wouldn't be able to dodge, not when Bryon's gun let out a shot that flew threw the air and tore through his shoulder.

In a slew of insults, Black fell, clutching his wound, teeth clenched.

No mercy.

Another quick and sharp shot of his gun struck through the throat, leaving only small evidence the shot penetrated.

White watched his darker half fall to the ground. The shadow of anger fell across his face, his ruby eyes turning back towards them. His expression bespoke focused, controlled fury.

At this moment another person appeared on the scene, a tall, lanky figure, pistols drawn.

White was cornered between three people. There was no escape.

He watched them, whip taut between his hands. "So is this the end?" He sounded intrigued. "How curious."

"You've kept me under your thumb for far too long," Ashe hissed.

"But isn't it good?" His smiling lips curled. "Everyone gets what they want. Bryon will take my heart and get a Role. You'll have whatever amounts to freedom for you. The Hatter girl will…what are you going to gain from this? Oh, yes, the foreigner."

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Oh please."

"What is he talking about?" Ashe said, eyeing her brother.

Bryon's smile was tight. "Oh, right. You know, I was meaning to tell you about that but-"

She furiously pointed at him. "You idiot! You're trying to take his Role! ?"

"How about we discuss that later!" He held his hands up defensively.

Shaking her head, she begrudgingly let it go for the moment, turning her attention towards Joker.

Putting her pistols away, she took out a knife. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this. How often I think about it," she said. "Let me have the honors. I'll make it permanent this time, Joker. You won't come back."

"Oh?" The cornered man stared up at them. "How will you do that?"

Ashe briefly glanced up at Bryon. "Taking his Role will make it permanent, right?" she whispered.

He blinked. "It would…"

"So your brother becomes the one thing you hate." There was an amused undercurrent to his voice.

"Shut up. You're not allowed to talk," she barked. "Bryon, you're not taking anyone's Role."

"That's not your decision to make. You can kill him, Ashe, but you don't make my decisions for me."

The tension between Bryon and Ashe was palpable in the air.

"First things first, free Michael," Lilly said.

And, indeed, she was right.


	31. Freedom that Enslaves

If anyone is wondering why I'm updating this thing so much, well, it's because I'm trying to finish it so I can move on. As you can see we are literally almost at the end.

If you read, I'd appreciate a review noting your thoughts. I don't care if your thoughts consist of "this reminds me of my favorite cheese."

Sorry about the short chapter.

There is one last chapter left and an epilogue (because I did manage to get a hundred reviews, although three of them come from trolls, lol).

* * *

Long legs carrying her, Ashe slinked forward, holding a thin, cruel dagger in her delicate hand. "Release him." Her eyes were intense, focused on his face.

"And spare you the challenge of releasing him yourself?" The jester smiled. It looked like a wicked, ill-fitting expression on his face, especially for his predicament.

She cocked her head.

"Why do you care so much for him, I wonder? Have I not been there for you all your life?" he said smoothly, and there was not a wrinkle in his voice. "Didn't I take you in when your father abandoned you?"

"You've kept me in servitude!" The exclamation came loud from her lips. "You've done nothing for me, you bastard! _Nothing!_ But that's okay, because now I get to destroy you. I get to hurt you, just as you and Black have done to me for so many years." Her voice was sing-song, but anger was betrayed in her white-knuckled grip on her knife, holding it close towards Joker's throat. "So long…so long." Her twisted smile was shaking. "I'm thrilled to destroy you. It will be the highlight of my life." Her eyes were wide, empty of expression and feeling, as she gave into deep bloodlust. "In the end your death will be nothing but a highlight in the story of my life, you bastard! Haha. How does that make me feel?"

His crimson eye narrowed. "This changes nothing."

"It changes everything!"

"Your brother will become the next me. In him I will live. It will never end, my dear."

"No he won't. I'll kill him, too," she hissed. "I'll kill you in all your incarnations over and over again until we are all dust." She peered at Bryon briefly and saw hurt and fear written on his features. "You know what I am. Don't give me that look," she said to her brother.

"I'm not surprised. I'm sad, Ashe." His voice was low.

"If you take his Role we will be at odds," she said simply.

"We will." He nodded numbly.

"I don't take well to those I am at odds with."

"I understand that." There was an odd acceptance in his voice.

She turned to Joker, knife in hand, pressed against his neck.

"I hate you." Her whisper was frightening, almost loving. So many years…so many years…Her hand shook.

When she was a young girl she had tried to escape Joker, to make it in the real world. Horrible things happened to her. When she asked Joker for help he only smiled and turned away. Smiles meant nothing to her now. They certainly didn't mean joy. She'd seen them too often as masks for cruelty.

The knife was fixed in precarious position on his skin.

The Ringmaster stared into her eyes, and with a deep cut she ended it all for him.

Of course, she had killed him before, but this time he wasn't getting back up.

Snatching a ring of keys from his belt, she stood and walked away, her back towards Lilly and Bryon. "Do what you will," she said, not bothering to turn around. "I don't want to see you again."

* * *

His sister was leaving, fading into the shadows to go look for her precious foreigner. Lilly eyed the scene, feeling slightly out of place, eyes focused on the young man before her.

"What does this mean?" she said.

"What?" His thoughts were scattered, turning in his head as he tried to rationalize his sister's hatred and disgust for him.

"For us."

"We would never work out, m'dear."

"I meant business-wise. You are still my two-point-five. You are a honorary part of the Mafia." She crossed her arms beneath her breasts, holding her fan closed in her thin fingers.

"I'll always be your two-point-five." His smile did not light his face. It was sad, twisted and sat weak and faded on his face. "But I will have a new Role. I will have purpose."

"This could work," she said thoughtfully. "From a business perspective, you understand. I think it could work out very well."

"You're happy about this, aren't you, my little social climber? Because I'll no longer be worst than faceless. Isn't that what you called me once?" He turned to face her, his expression challenging.

"I think it's good." She said bluntly. "Let's not complicate things."

He shrugged. "But I'm all about complicating things."

"I shoot things people try to complicate. Now take his Role. We don't have all day."

Bryon bent, staring at the dead Joker, and cherished his last moments before he became a being of purpose within the Rules.

* * *

She finally found the key that fit. Throwing it into the lock, she heard a satisfying click. The door to the cell opened and out stepped a disgruntled-looking Michael, his hair a stringy mess, bags under his eyes. He wobbled a little, and she moved beside him, supporting him.

"It's over," she said breathlessly. "It's all over."

And somehow she found herself breaking down, tears gushing from her eyes, miserable sounds escaping her throat. "I'm so done with this. Done with it all."

He wrapped an arm around her, holding her up as the Prison faded into the colors of the empty Circus.

"You can start over," he said. "You can finally be a good person."

She stared bleakly. "Can someone suddenly just become good?" Her voice shook. "I-I don't know, Michael. I don't know if that can suddenly just happen."

"We can try." He was desperate. "Ashe…we can try. All we can do is try."

"I'm just not made to be a good person."

"Then try!" he said. "You need to try!"

She buried her head in his shoulder. "I don't even know how to be a good. I'm not even sure I want to be good, Michael."

"That scares me…" His voice was heavy, tired.

"I know that you thought getting rid of Joker would fix me." She looked up at him sharply, gripping his shirt. "But there is no fixing me. I'm not broken. I'm just made to be sinful."

"You've already decided that? You're not even going to bother changing?"

"I am changing. I love you. That's enough."

And he knew it would have to be enough.


	32. Music of Finality

This is the absolute end. There will be a short epilogue after this, and then it will be completely over. Thank you for reading. Please review if you read and give me your overall thoughts on the series.

Also, there is a slightly raunchy scene in the middle but it's easily skipped, and it's honestly not that bad.

* * *

A young man walked towards the Hatter Mansion. The faceless were in a flurry, whispering as he approached and entered through the huge front entrance

"No need to worry," Bryon said softly, waving. "I'm just here to see your precious Madame Hatter."

As he made his way past the flock of maids gathered in the hall, following one faceless woman to Lilly, gossip followed behind him.

"Why is he still seeing Miss Hatter, I wonder?" one of the maids wondered aloud. "Does he need her? He's Joker now, right?"

"It's curious, isn't it?"

"Very curious…and suspicious!"

They all shared devious grins and knowing winks before scurrying off to do their work.

The young maid led the newly-created Joker to a tall white door. Gripping her skirt tightly in one hand, she knocked softly, calling in with a shaky, nervous voice, "Are you decent?"

"Why are you bothering me?" The voice came irritated from the other side of the door. "This best be important."

"Mr. Bryon is here to see you."

Bryon watched the door curiously, waiting for it to open.

Open it did, and what appeared was a disgruntled-looking woman in a red silk robe she had hastily tied in the front. "It's about damn time you showed up." Her voice held impatience. "I have things I need to discuss with you, two-point-five. Where have you been?"

"Being a Roleholder?" he replied. "It takes up a great deal of my time, you understand."

"Not an excuse. And you, maid, disappear."

Mumbling an apology, the woman was off in a flurry.

"You!" Lilly jabbed her finger in his chest. "Come with me."

Through the elegant halls of Hatter mansion they went, her long robe trailing behind her. Occasionally she threw a snippy remark back at him, but he knew that hurt at what she considered his abandonment underlined it all.

"I didn't leave you. I wouldn't have come back if I did," he said finally.

She said nothing. The snippy remarks were replaced by a heated silence.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

Again, she didn't respond.

It wasn't until they stopped at a wide, fat door that he knew where they were.

"Isn't this your father's study?"

"Yes," she said, throwing open the door. "Get in. We have things to discuss. He isn't here currently, and it's the best place to discuss Hatter business, you understand."

"Oh, but, of course, Princess." He grinned, stepping in beyond her into the comfortable study.

Closing the door, she took her place leaning against the wooden desk, crossing her arms and glowering at him, dark eyebrows raised.

The two watched each other.

"Well, two-point-five, where does it go from here?" she asked.

"I don't know honestly." He scratched his chin. "I'm in a precarious situation, actually. You see, there are several individuals in your organization who have broken the Rules and…well, you see where this goes, yes?"

"Elliot and my father, correct? I know of their crimes against the Prison. But we ourselves technically committed crimes ourselves breaking Michael out."

"Yes, but I don't have to hold grudges against myself, now do I?" His smile curled.

"You're going to hold the crimes of my father and Elliot over my head? Two-point-five, you forget yourself!" She charged from the desk and straight to him, stomping her feet.

"Do you not understand? I have power in your little criminal organization here. You see how, yes?"

They stared each other down again, another silence prevailing, as her lips thinned into a line, his lips a smug smirk.

"You bastard!" she spat.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just doing what's best for myself. It's all about my best interest. I'm-"

"It's time for you to shut the hell up," she hissed.

Something snapped. She snatched the back of his head and pressed her lips to his. He was shocked at first, barely responding as she knocked him hard against the door. She bit his bottom lip, breathing in, her tongue making swift work of any words he might have.

"You make a _wonderful _point," he said when they separated.

"Did I tell you to talk?" She wrapped her arms around him again, bringing him down to her level. He had to bend down, for he was much taller than her. He laced his fingers in her hair, grinning between kisses.

"We'll make _this _our business then, hm?" he said.

"If you don't tell anyone."

"I won't."

"You best not, two-point-five. Oh, you best not."

She found herself across the room, small of her back against the desk. She gripped the front of his shirt with an iron grip, biting, sucking his lip, tongue playing along his. He leaned forward, hands on the desk on either side of her body, a grin on his face as he petted the side of her cheek.

"Princess, I do believe this will be a beautiful partnership."

"It's just business," she said dully, looking up at him as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

But as she said it her hands were already loosening her robe's tie.

* * *

Pile of paperwork in his hands, Elliot kicked on the door to Blood's study in place of knocking. "Hey! Blood…uh. Is someone in there?"

The door swung open and he was surprised to see two disheveled looking people come out.

Elliot narrowed his eyes in curiosity. "What are you doing in there, Lilly?"

"Nothing at all except business," she said, trying to smooth messy, stray hairs.

"We just so happened to be in a room discussing business with the door locked," Bryon said, smirking.

"We needed to lock the door. We were discussing politics." She glared hard at him.

His ears twitched, their story not quite settling well with him. He knew a lie when he heard it. "Really? I'm not so sure about that. Hey, what's that on your neck, Lilly. Looks like a bruise or a red mark or some sort. Did he hurt you! ?"

Her hand shot to her neck to cover it. "Ah! Well!" She bit her lip, a blush rising. "You know what? Bryon, why don't you just get out of here? As in, go. Now."

Bryon knew when to make an exit, but as he turned to leave, he came face-to-face with someone he did not want to see: the Hatter himself.

"Strange that you still come around here," Blood said, adjusting his hat. "I thought you had more important duties."

"I am a humble servant of Lilly," Bryon said smoothly.

"I hope that's it. I wouldn't want you to be anything else."

"Are you implying what I think you're implying, daddy!" Lilly cried, her hand to her mouth. "Because I would never have an affair with this ingrate!"

Bryon tried to act shocked. "What? Me? Have a hot, steamy affair with your hot, little daughter? Perish the thought, Sir! Perish it! Because I would never touch her! Not with a ten, NAY, twenty foot pole! Not with a pole that was fifty-feet-long! Not if she was the last woman in Wonderland!"

She gritted her teeth. "What do you mean _not _if I was the last woman in Wonderland? You bastard! You better if I was the last woman! Elliot, murder him! Murder him right now!"

"No can do. I have paperwork and stuff to do." Elliot shook his head.

She pursed her lips. "Hmph."

"You've overstayed your welcome, I think, _Joker," _Blood said, eyeing the young man in a way that expressed that he knew just what was going on. "I will walk you out."

Blood's cane clicked against the floor as the two walked side-by-side away from the girl and rabbit-man.

When they were some distance away Blood said, "So you're the new Joker?"

"I am."

"Don't betray us. It is simply not acceptable."

"I understand that. I also understand that you're a criminal by the definition of the Rules of the world. You and Elliot."

Blood's look was dark, his eyes smoldering on the young man.

They reached the front door, where Bryon hurried ahead, Blood still watching his back with a hateful expression.

"Anyway, good day!" Bryon called back.

Blood said nothing, only shaking his head.

He would be ready for whatever the new Joker brought.

* * *

Silence.

It was a heavy quiet between the girl and boy. She stared with predatory eyes, gaze directed on him. "You're tired," Ashe said, watching flickering shadows play in the light. Ashe still lived in the Circus with Bryon, as much as she hated it and Bryon's new Role, and so they were in one of the tents. A thin breeze sent the walls of the tent rippling in the wind. She sat on the ground in front of him, an unfinished card game strewn between them.

"I'm okay." He avoided her gaze.

But he wasn't. He was breaking.

"No, you're not. You hate this place."

"I've lived in more comfortable, easier places." His voice was heavy with sorrow.

"Do you miss home?"

"I miss a lot of things."

"Do you regret it?"

"I regret a lot of things." His voice was becoming increasingly low.

She brought her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. "Do I cause all your heartache?"

"You cause a lot of things."

"Dammit, Michael. Give me a straight answer."

He looked her straight on, eyes reflecting shining light. "You want a straight-up answer? Fine. I do miss home. I want to go home. I-I've been thinking. Ashe, I can't give everything up for you. Because you're never going to change."

She sighed. "You've realized it already."

"I'm sorry."

"That's the great secret of me." A bittersweet smile overcame her. "I never change. I just make men think I can."

"I appreciate you rescuing me."

"I liked rescuing you. It made me feel good for a little bit." She watched him, the light leaving her eyes.

"I want to leave, but I don't. I can't decide."

"I'll decide for you. Give it to me."

His hand crawled into his pocked, clutching the vial and dropping it into her thin, waiting hand. She held it, staring into its crystalline depths, smiling.

It was beautiful.

But she had made a decision.

Then knowing this was the end and knowing that no other moments remained between them she gave him a parting kiss, putting the vial back in his hand. She knew this one, last kiss would be all he needed to make the vial completely full.

"You don't deserve me," she whispered. "I'm the sort of punishment you get when you do horrible things. You're a good man. That's why I loved you. You're a good man." Tears were in her eyes. "You're a good man. Go back home and be a good man for someone who deserves you."

The world faded for him, replaced by infinity of light before his eyes.

Nightmare watched from a distance as his figure retreated into the light. It seemed this was the fate of all foreigners. The dream always had to end, somehow. Alice had to die. Michael had to end. It was a truth the dream demon had accepted long ago.

Michael heard music, weaving in and out of his ears. A tingling, twinkling sound like a thousand bells backed by a chorus, calling him.

Calling him into the distance into a world so far away, away from her, away from everything, back to reality.

The music of reality.

The light of infinity blinded him, but he walked on as if he could walk forever. He felt tired, thirsty. He felt empty, hollow. He felt everything and nothing. Onwards he continued into the unknown.

X

He woke up suddenly with a start, a book in his lap. It was a textbook on the theory of parallel universes rested on his leg like a heavy weight. He felt groggy and as if he had been asleep for a very long time, his skin feeling strangely warm.

"What a weird dream," he said to himself as his cat rubbed in and out of his legs.

He was home.

He felt so alone.


	33. end, epilogue, future

I wrote this while replaying Emilie Autumn's song "Shallot" over and over again, so lines from the song found their way into the story because, well, it fit the story so well. Seriously, that song fits Ashe ridiculously well.

This is probably one of the most depressing things I've ever written. TasiasENDLESSdreams gave me the idea that fleshed this epilogue out. I'll go ahead and give her a shout-out since she's been an avid supporter of the series and I really appreciate that. Thanks! You know what? Thank you everyone. I've gotten my best ideas from you guys.

* * *

The future somehow always comes, and it comes in many forms.

There were stories of the furious assassin harlot. She created chaos wherever she stepped, her anger and cold smile all she had against the world. Whispers of her cruelty followed her every act.

They didn't know there was darkness in her empty chest, a void, deepened by the disappearance of a foreigner she never gave the details of. People assumed she killed him, an accusation that made her become strangely angry.

She refused to talk to her brother. He was Joker now. He was a hateful person, something to be despised.

When she was all alone, when no one could see, she would think back on her life and the things she had done and wonder.

_Have I ever done right?_

She was so alone and so empty and she wore a smile that held nothing. She was becoming a monster and she knew it, but only in private did she allow herself to think of it. She swathed herself in layers of blood to hide the hurt and feelings.

Only in private did the tears come.

But no on cared because at all other times she was killing and taking a thrill in it.

One fact was clear: there was no peace. Not for her. Peace died when her mother died. Peace died when the cycle began.

Like father, like daughter.

Her ending was unclear, except that it ended. There were many iterations of her tale repeated over and over. Most people were quite sure she killed the foreigner and deposed of Joker, setting her brother in Joker's place in order to give herself more power.

It wasn't the truth, but who cared enough to tell the true story?

The one person who knew better, her own brother, was silent on the matter. He never spoke of his sister and even more rarely saw her.

There was a version of the story he would tell to people sometimes when he was bored. He claimed it was the truth, but he claimed many things to be true.

* * *

He would always begin by saying it had been the end of it all for his sister, that she had been tired and desperate. She had looked into the face of her life and found nothing. He would emphasize _nothing _before taking a sip from his drink and cracking a smile at his dramatic flourish to whoever was listening.

He had an interesting story and he knew it. God bless his sister's soul.

"It had been in the works for so long…I wasn't surprised when it happened," he said softly. "She was going in so many different directions, flailing, like a drowning woman. She was looking for something, but I think it left her when Michael left. Or maybe it was the death of mother? Anyone feel like psycho-analyzing her?"

Inevitably questions as to what happened to Michael would be asked, to which he would shrug his shoulders and say he didn't know.

"Perhaps she killed him? Perhaps he left? Whatever. It caused quite the downward spiral for her, didn't it?" He would sit back at this part of the story. "But, honestly, would she ever have him? Even if he never disappeared, I doubt they would ever be together. They were too different. He was good and she was bad. Like a devil and an angel!" He would laugh. "Both of them knew it."

He would then steer the story away from Michael. That wasn't interesting to him…it was painful. The whole thing should have been painful if it wasn't so inevitable. He knew the ending for her from the start. He'd seen the signs early on.

He had distanced himself from her long ago to soften the blow.

"But it all ended."

With those words he launched into the tale.

She approached him. It was odd, and he wondered if she was there to kill him.

But she wasn't. Not at all.

"She just wanted to tell me what a wonderful and perfect person I was!" he said. "She was just always jealous of me. And then we got into an epic sword-fight! Now, she's a great fighter, but of course I beat her. I am Joker, after all. Why not? And when she lost she said she loved me and that I was a fantastic brother unmatched by no brother anywhere. I told her she would always be my little sister. I told her I cared."

That wasn't the truth, and he knew it. The real event hurt to even think about.

In the real event she had come to him, approaching him in the Prison. She had been shadowed, and when she stepped into the light he barely recognized her. She didn't look like the sister he knew. The way her light hair surrounded her face, bags under her eyes, made her look feral. There was something of the animal even in the way she watched him, red eye glimmering. She was gaunt even by her standards, a thin wisp of a girl who had already been so thin. But most of all there was darkness in her expression, a slow and frightened whisper in her voice.

Her words burst from her, desperate tears in her eyes. "How long can I live this way! ? Is there no one I can turn to! ?"

"I'm sorry, Ashe…you did it all yourself, you know? You did it all to yourself." He couldn't get entangled in her drama again. He had to maintain distance…_he had to._

She shook her head. "That man is going to be my _death_…because he's _all _I ever wanted in my life." She closed her eyes. "He's all I ever wanted."

"That's very sad. I'm sure this isn't what Michael would have wanted."

"Who cares! ? Maybe I'm meant to die. I think it's the end, Bryon. The end of everything. Of this damn life I've been living, of this constant spiral down into nothing." She made angry motions with her arms, her fists clenched. "I've come to this realization that my sad excuse for a story…ends with my death. I'll never see old age, not when I can't even recall what it's like to feel."

"What do you want?" His voice was harder than he intended.

"End it for me," she said, her voice a mere whimper.

His eyes opened, shocked. "Ashe!"

"This will be my grave. No one can save me." Her voice had the odd tone of acceptance. "I've accepted it. I've accepted it all."

He said nothing, mouth firmly shut. "I…can't."

"Sentimentality from Joker?"

"I'm your brother, too."

"You're just Joker to me. I'm a rule-breaker, right? Do it! Do it if you truly value your Role!"

"I don't value my Role above you! You're still my sister!"

"Then you're useless and you're weak! I've been trying to end it for years, but I can't bring myself to do it and no one else will do it. But I'll find a way. _I'll find a way_."

She turned, pale hair flying behind her as she raced into the shadows. From where he said it looked like the darkness swallowed her small body.

He never said the things he would have said if she hadn't left so quickly. If he knew it was the last time he would see her he would have said a few more things.

She went to find the one man who had been a constant torment for her, the man in the torn red coat. He was in the woods as always, but she managed to easily track him down. She was quite good at such things.

She found him in a grove surrounded by thick trees, their branches entwining above them, creating a canopy that allowed only dappled sunlight through. A creek rushed through the clearing, its waters giving a few of the gray rocks and pebbles below the surface. The noise of water and birdsong filled the silence.

She stepped from the thick, green brush.

"Here to fight again?" he said, watching her. "You've been doing a lot of that lately, haven't you? It never gets boring!" He smiled.

"I don't want to fight." She stepped forward toward him. "I'm too tired to fight."

"You? Not want to fight?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I wonder what you have planned then? Something sinister, I'm sure." He shrugged and laughed.

"I'm too tired to kill."

"I wonder what you want then…?" It was more accusation than anything else. He suspected a trick. She had been trying to kill him for years, after all. It had almost become fun for him to repel her.

She pointed at his sword. "Draw it. End everything you've started."

His eyebrows bunched together. "Huh?"

"End me!" She yelled. "I'm not fighting you anymore! I'm not fighting anything! So end this tragedy! End everything you began so many years ago…Please." She was breaking down, tears coming painfully to her eyes.

"You want me to kill you?" It wasn't what he expected.

"It will be the only act of mercy you've shown me in your miserable life."

"The only?" He laughed bitterly. "Why don't you think I've killed you yet? That's mercy. But I like seeing you fight. I like seeing you get stronger. It's interesting."

"There's no where to go," she said. She held her hair up with her hands, revealing her long neck. "There's your target. End it."

"I never hated you," he said. "Despite everything, I never hated you." He drew his sword, edge glimmering. "You always hated me a lot. It was interesting. You've been sort of fun."

She fell to her knees, eyes closed, a sigh escaping her lips.

"I loved your mother," he whispered. "I saw what having you kids did to her. It destroyed her. So I guess I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago."

She didn't care. She didn't care at all.

Her vision was dark from her veiled eyes.

All that could be heard in the clearing was rushing water and her slow breathing. Even the birdsong seemed to have paused. The muted moment was full of portent.

She waited, her hand sweating as she clenched her hair back, her knees grinding into the dirt.

As the edge of the sword sliced her skin, her mind was accosted with many things. Feelings and emotions rushed back to her. She remembered love. She remembered her mother. She remembered how she once cared for Bryon and Michael. She remembered pain as it overtook her body starting at the wound in her neck.

And then it was all distanced from her like a muted melody. She fell to the ground on her back.

"The story fits!" she cried, laughing, as the spark of life left her fast paling skin. A smile. _But I could have guessed it all along. _A final thought before dying.

Her arms fell into the shallow creek weakly. The sensation of cold water was the last sensation she ever felt before she fell into the deep grave of oblivion.

"That's all!" Bryon would say, voice always rather high, clapping his hands together to indicate the finality. "Don't know what happens after that."

He would then usher the listening crowd away, saying there's nothing else to tell, so they should go home and remember to attend the Circus.

It was a lie.

The part where he found her body was left out of the story.

He had been worried about her after their conversation, so he went looking for his sister, hoping for the best.

He found the worst.

There she was on the ground, red sliver shallow on her throat, crimson on the ground around her. Her skin was pale as moonlight, arms raised into the creek above her side-turned face, clear water running across her skin. She had eyes colder than usual. Even her red eye no longer smoldered as it usually did, and the blue one was pale.

He also failed to mention that no one else cared. The other Roleholders had decided that her end had long been in the works. They hated her. When he told Julius, the man's reaction was a shrug.

"She cared for you," Bryon said.

But it didn't matter to the clockmaker whose heart had turned cold so many years ago. "I suppose she's finally like her mother now."

Bryon watched him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"They're both dead, aren't they? So they're finally alike. Now get out. You're disrupting me."

He only found out the story from Ace himself later. Strangely, he wasn't angry. Not at all. He was just sad.

The funeral consisted of a brother by his sister's grave, absently tossing flowers onto the fresh soil.

He said only one thing at her graveside.

"The end. Oh God, the end."

* * *

The next few years were tense. The Mafia and Prison entered an uneasy alliance due to the strange relationship between the Mafia Princess and the newest incarnation of Joker.

"I'm a self-made man," Bryon would say, smiling. "It's a wonderful thing, really, to bring yourself out of nothing."

Meanwhile, Lilly insisted their relationship was nothing but business. "He is still my two-point-five and under my control. Why would it ever be otherwise?"

The favoritism the Prison showed towards the Mafia was obvious. The alliance was deadly, dangerous and had everyone on edge.

Blood tolerated it because it gave him advantages he could have only dreamed of before. Elliot didn't like it, and he especially didn't like Bryon when he found out that he was the next Joker.

People who Lilly disliked found themselves locked up in Prison, rotting in a cell. It was never outright said what was going on, but people found out quickly. With Bryon's help Lilly rose to power quickly, using fear and intimidation to keep her position. Blood was officially the Hatter, but everyone knew where the real power lied.

Blood did not like it at all. She was a threat to his own leadership, and one day he knew he may have to do his daughter in. At the moment, however, her allegiances made her too powerful. Elliot knew the order may come one day when he would have to do the girl in, and it made him sad, but such was life in the Mafia. He had to do what Blood said.

"I can throw Elliot and Blood in there, too, whenever I like. I do have power, my dear," Bryon would say to Lilly when they were alone.

"Then do it. Double-cross me. I dare you, and I'll blast your ass and choke you with your own whip, _Joker_."

He winced. "Please, call me Bryon."

But they loved each other. They did, and if anyone doubted it this was quickly proven by the birth of a daughter. The child was named Lucille, Lucy for short, and was a beautiful black-haired little girl constantly pulled between the power struggles of her parents.

But she would learn to live with it, because her parents loved her. When they were together with her, it was the one time they were themselves, not their positions.

She would hear stories of her aunt that made it difficult for her to sleep at night, but it was always okay in the end. It had to be.

Because life was a constant struggle for power.

* * *

It began with Michael and ended with Michael.

He was no longer a foreigner, out of place and time. He was home and comfortable. The greatest days of his life were ahead of him. He graduated from college with honors, becoming a psychologist who was extremely interested in helping people thought to be unfixable by everyone else.

"I'm not trying to fix or cure them. You don't fix people. People aren't broken. They simply exist," he said. "I'm just trying to understand them. How many people try that?"

He met the love of his life, a woman named Lara. She was a short frizzy-haired brunette with a chubby body and hearty laugh. Some said she was plain-looking, but she was beautiful to him, which was all that mattered. He married her, and it was a happy union.

As a social worker, she shared his enthusiasm for helping people, especially troubled children.

He opened up a practice in the middle of town, working as a therapist on the side, building his reputation and respect among people in the community.

In each of the people who came into his office, he saw glimpses of a woman he knew long ago in a dream he had. When the spoke, the memory of that woman was vivid to him.

But it had just been a dream.

He knew it was a lie in his heart. It had all been very real. Sometimes he wondered if it had all actually happened.

Every so often he would regale his love with stories of a place he used to dream of.

"What do you think this Ashe girl was representative of?" Lara would say, laughing. "Your sub-conscience must have been telling you something very strange about yourself."

"Yeah," he said. "But I think I've moved past it."

Life was beautiful.

Life was a beautiful, beautiful thing, and he was missing nothing at all from it.

* * *

That's the end of it. There's no more of this story. It's all been told. Thank you for reading this far. It's been a fun experience writing it.

Go ahead and review. It will be the last time you'll have the chance since this story is now totally COMPLETE. It feels good to finish it. It's not perfect, but I like it well enough.

On an unrelated note, I found an interesting site called fanfictionrecs . net. It has a feature that automatically turns fanfics into EPUB (an ereader format that can also be read on the computer with free software). So far I've turned Ink'n'Echo's story The Wandering Heart into an ebook and am chilling out reading it on my computer. It's a much cooler experience than reading it on fanfic. I'll probably do the same with a few other stories I really like.


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